A Quantitative Definition of Intelligence
We propose an operational, quantitative definition of intelligence for arbitrary physical systems. The intelligence density of a system is the ratio of the logarithm of its independent outputs to its total description length. A system memorizes if its description length grows with its output count; it knows if its description length remains fixed while its output count diverges. The criterion for knowing is generalization. A system knows its domain if a single finite mechanism can produce correct outputs across an unbounded range of inputs, rather than storing each answer individually. The definition places intelligence on a substrate-independent continuum from logic gates to brains. We t...
| Authors | Kang-Sin Choi |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.AI |
| Published | 13 April 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 24 April 2026 |
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