< previous page	page_29	next page >
Page 29 is the set of feasible or possible plans of the form appropriate to the problem being investigated. e represents the range of possible environments or, equivalently, the initial uncertainty of the adaptive system about its environment. When the plan t tries a structure at time t, the particular environment confronting the adaptive system signals a response I(t) Î I . The performance or payoff µE(), given by the function , is generally an important part of the information I(t). Given E ¹ E' for E, , the corresponding functions µE, µE' are generally not identical so that a major part of the uncertainty about the environment is just about how well a structure will perform therein. When a plan employs, or receives, only information about payoff so that it will be called a payoff-only plan. Finally, the various plans in are to be compared over e according to a criterion . Comparisons will often be based on the cumulative payoff functions , where is the expected payoff under (t), and the "target" function . An interim behavior criterion, based on a selected sequence and of the form will be important in the sequel. With the help of this framework each of the fundamental questions about adaptation posed in chapter 1, section 1, can be translated into a formal counterpart: Original Formal To what parts of its environment is the organism (system, organization) adapting? What is e? How does the environment act upon the adapting organism (system, organization) ? What is I? What structures are undergoing adaptation? What is ? What are the mechanisms of adaptation? What is W? What part of the history of its interaction with the environment does the organism (system, organization) retain in addition to that summarized in the structure tested? What is ? What limits are there to the adaptive process? What is ? How are different (hypotheses about) adaptive processes to be compared? What is ?
< previous page	page_29	next page >

If you like this book, buy it!