On the empirical justification of theoretical heuristic transference and learning

Abstract

The solution of intractable problems implies the use of heuristics. Quantum computers may find use for optimization problems, but have yet to solve any NP-hard problems. This paper demonstrates results in game theory for domain transference and the reuse of problem-solving knowledge through the application of learned heuristics. It goes on to explore the possibilities for the acquisition of heuristics for the solution of the NP-hard TSP problem. Here, it is found that simple heuristics (e.g., pairwise exchange) often work best in the context of more or less sophisticated experimental designs. Often, these problems are not amenable to exclusive logic solutions; but rather, require the application of hybrid approaches predicated on search. In general, such approaches are based on randomization and supported by parallel processing. This means that heuristic solutions emerge from attempts to randomize the search space. The paper goes on to present a constructive proof of the unbounded density of knowledge in support of the Semantic Randomization Theorem (SRT). It highlights this result and its potential impact upon the community of machine learning researchers.