Icons, Magnitudes, and Their Parts

Abstract

Analog representations come in different types. One distinction is between those representations that have parts that are themselves representations and those that do not (i.e., those for which the Parts Principle is true and those for which it is not). I offer a unified account of analog representation, showing what all types have in common. This account clarifies when the Parts Principle applies and when it does not, thereby illuminating why the Parts Principle is less interesting than one might have thought. Understanding analog representation instead requires understanding the kinds of magnitudes used in a particular representation, and the kinds of variation possible within a representational scheme.

Computation for cognitive science: Analog versus digital

“…To best understand the distinction between analog and digital computation, it helps to start with the difference between analog and digital representation. Many interesting connections between analog and digital representation can be made with other distinctions in cognitive science, such as the distinction between iconic and discursive representation (Block, 2023;Carey, 2009;Maley, 2023b), or the role of analog representation in particular cognitive tasks, particularly involving spatial memory and mental rotation (Kosslyn, 1983). Space constraints prevent any further discussion of these connections; we will focus on analog and digital computation-and the representations underlying them-here.…”