Thursday, 23 April 2009

Consciousness, a variable quantity that can be derived mathematically?

The concept of quantity is defined as

"the measurable, countable, or comparable property or aspect of a thing",

as

"something that has a magnitude and can be represented in mathematical expressions by a constant or a variable",

and as

"something that serves as the object of an operation".

Thing being

"a separate and self-contained entity".

And in logic, quantity is defined as

"the exact character of a proposition in reference to its universality, singularity, or particularity",

borrowing the extensions of universality, singularity and particularity for potential applications for the concept of physical quantity.

The concept of variable is defined as

"a quantity that can assume any of a set of values"

Constructing a wireless receiver/broadcaster you would expect to tune in, to a broadcasting/receiving radio source and receive/broadcast an output which can be measured.

Consciousness, is constructed gradually since childhood and it can be thought as a wireless receiver/broadcaster as it receives/broadcasts signals. And it is variable within each individual, as it is surmised by its content, that make up its volume, volume thought as a physical as well as a mental quantity. Physical pertaining to the brain, neurons and neural networks organised in reverberated cell assemblies, and mental volume, taken in respect of concepts, thoughts, ideas that make up its content. The physical/mental volume of consciousness changes as the time passes along. It is a time-dependent quantity. The physical/mental volume of consciousness is variable from individual to individual, as well.

By the analogy of the wireless receiver/broadcaster, consciousness is quantified, by its receiving aptitude, by the quantity of the signals received. In broad terms it can be defined as how many signals are taken in, out of all the signals that exist at a particular time and space. Space refers to physical and mental space alike, whereas time is assumed to be the same, for either notion of space. The variable, in this case, can be expressed in the form of percentage, although regarding the measurement against signals existing, can be measured instead against an accepted standard, like an average constructed out of a population of individuals.

As far as the broadcasting aptitude, it is expected that, it would be dependent upon the signals broadcasted, expressed as a percentage out of the total of the signals received.

Any mathematical formula to measure consciousness, should be based on the process of learning, as is accomplished in its various ways. Any way, learning is effected, it is expected to change the physical/mental volume of consciousness, as by learning acquire and elaborate on concepts, thoughts and ideas and by that the number of signals taken in.

The more the learning, the more the concepts the individual possess, the more the signals the individual takes in, the greater its consciousness