The Stephen Wolfram Podcast A conversation between Gregory Chaitin and Stephen Wolfram (July 5, 2021)
Dec 1, 2021
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Early Influences
- At 11 years old, Gregory Chaitin discovered Godel's incompleteness theorem and became fascinated by computers.
- He tried writing programs before even having access to run them.
Pin on the Moon Essay
- Chaitin's essay for the Columbia University Science Honors Program discussed deducing information from finding a pin on the moon.
- He connected program size to complexity, arguing a pin's artificiality implies a concise program defining its shape.
Early Programming and Mathematical Curiosity
- Chaitin wrote programs in IBM 650 assembly language, competing with other students for the most concise code.
- He questioned if one could prove having the smallest possible program, highlighting an early mathematical inclination.