Cognitive Informatics and Internal Signal Processing in the Brain

Yingxu Wang, University of Calgary

Abstract

The development of classical and contemporary informatics, the cross fertilization between computer science, systems science, cybernetics, computer/software engineering, cognitive science and neuropsychology, has led to an entire range of extremely interesting new research field known as cognitive informatics (CI). Cognitive informatics is a new discipline that studies the natural intelligence and internal information processing mechanisms of the brain, as well as processes involved in perception and cognition [1-3]. This talk explores the foundations of cognitive informatics, and reviews the recent advances in cognitive informatics.

Although there are various ways to express actions and behaviors in natural languages, it is found in cognitive informatics that human and system behaviors may be classified into three basic categories: to be, to have, and to do. All mathematical means and forms, in general, are an abstract description of these three categories of system behaviors and their common rules. Therefore, both human and system behaviors can be modeled and described by a common mathematical means. Real-time process algebra (RTPA) [4] is developed as a descriptive mathematics to denote thoughts and notions of humans, as well as behaviors and architectures of software systems. A comprehensive set of algebraic laws of RTPA has been developed, which form the theoretical foundation for analyzing system architectures and behaviors.

On the basis of CI, the internal information processing mechanisms of the brain are investigated. This approach leads to the notion of cognitive signal processing for both signal perception and comprehension [3, 5]. It is observed that the signals among neurons in the brain are frequency-modulated impulses. The same signal transmission mechanism in the brain may represent an extremely wide range of information that depends on human cognition and comprehension. Understanding the internal mechanisms of parallel signal transmission, multiplication/demultiplication, and cognition are considered a profound step to complete the full loop of signal processing from human, source coding and channel coding, and then back to human as the final receiver of any signal or information.

This talk demonstrates that the investigation into CI and descriptive mathematics could result in fundamental findings towards the development of next generation information and signal processing technologies, and may lead to new architectures of computing systems.

References

[1] Y. Wang, "Cognitive informatics: A new transdisciplinary research field," Brain and Mind: A Transdisciplinary Journal of Neuroscience and Neurophilosophy, vol.4, no.2. pp.115-127, 2003.
[2] C. Chan, W. Kinsner, Y. Wang, and D.M. Miller (eds.), Cognitive Informatics, Proc. 3rd IEEE International Conference (CIIC03). IEEE CS Press (Victoria, BC, Canada; August 16-17, 2004) 2004.
[3] Y. Wang and W. Kinsner, "Recent advances in cognitive informatics," IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, vol. 25, 2005 (to appear).
[4] Y. Wang, "The real-time process algebra (RTPA)," The International Journal of Annals of Software Engineering, vol.14, pp. 235-274, 2002.
[5] W. Kinsner, "Is entropy suitable to characterize data and signals for cognitive informatics?" in Proc. 3rd IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics (ICCI04), (Victoria, BC, Canada; August 16-17, 2004) pp. 6-21, 2004.