Varieties of Analog and Digital Representation

Abstract

The `received view' of the analog---digital distinction holds that analog representations are continuous while digital representations are discrete. In this paper I first provide support for the received view by showing how it (1) emerges from the theory of computation, and (2) explains engineering practices. Second, I critically assess several recently offered alternatives, arguing that to the degree they are justified they demonstrate not that the received view is incorrect, but rather that distinct senses of the terms have become entrenched specific fields, perhaps most notably in the cognitive psychology of mental imagery.