If you don’t know what the word hyperthesis means don’t worry, it’s a term I came up myself. Stemming from the Greek “υπέρθεση” which means “hyperposition” or “superposition” depending on how you translate it, it is a term that describes transcendence of the binary state, but in a dynamic context (not to be confused with the quantum superposition which is somewhat different). In other words, it has to do with the controlled oscillation between extreme states until an equilibrium state is attained, at least at a reasonable robustness level that is predefined in the specs of the project at hand. The Hyperthesis Principle is, therefore, a principle that describes the behavior of a complex system that is characterized by a hyperthetical behavior. Namely, if a system's state oscillates between two extreme states until it reaches an equilibrium of sorts, it exhibits hyperthetical behavior. If this behavior is a function of the parameters of the data this system relies on, then the system can, in theory, attain a stable evolutionary course that will result in equilibrium, namely a robust state. “What does this have to do with data science, doc?” I can hear you say. Well, if you have been reading my blog, you may recall that predictive data models, especially the more sophisticated ones, are in essence complex systems. As such they may be in any state in the high bias – high variance spectrum. Now, we may tweak the parameters like a drunkard, hoping that we get them right, or we can do so through an understanding of the data and the model at hand. One way to accomplish the latter is through grid search, though this may not always be easy or affordable computationally. Imagine an SVM, for example, that is trained over a large dataset. It may take a while to find the optimum parameters for that model through a grid search, which is why we often revert to more stochastic approaches. This is where AI creeps in, even if we don't call it that. However, whenever a sophisticated optimization method is applied, the system exhibits a form of rudimentary intelligence. The more advanced the optimizer, the more it fits the bill, and calling it AI comes effortlessly. Anyway, if we were to apply intelligence, artificial or otherwise, to a problem like that, we are in essence applying the hyperthesis principle. How well we do so, depends on how well we understand the problem we are trying to solve. However, being aware of this principle and applying it consciously can greatly facilitate the whole process. After all, all this is done through an iterative process, oftentimes involving several iterations of training and testing. Setting up the corresponding experiments can be aligned with the aforementioned principle, optimizing the whole process. So, instead of tweaking the model haphazardly, we make changes to it that make sense and navigate it towards a point in the parameter space that optimizes performance and robustness. Understanding all this is the most important step in truly understanding AI and allowing this understanding to enhance our thinking. Also, it is at the core of the data science mindset. Cheers!
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Zacharias Voulgaris, PhDPassionate data scientist with a foxy approach to technology, particularly related to A.I. Archives
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