LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Artificial Evolution
To the Editors:
Regarding "The Semicolon Wars" by Brian Hayes
(Computing Science, July-August), the article is
interesting but has a basic proposition that, in my opinion, is
wrong: that computer languages are products of design and not evolution.
It could be argued that nothing that people create can be the
product of evolution, but I think of it differently. Human beings
provide the environment for development, but that development is
clearly evolutionary.
The creation of human language, including computer language, is an
evolutionary process. Language changes over time and adapts to its
environment. The fact that computer languages are
"designed" does not, to me, imply that they are not evolving.
The parallels are amazing between evolving nature, evolving natural
language and computer language. Computer languages even have their
evolutionary dead ends, just like natural evolution processes. In
fact, the diagram in the article of the links between programming
languages looks remarkably like a map of an evolutionary tree.
Mr. Hayes provides convincing evidence that these languages are
evolving and even cites the mechanisms by which this takes place. He
makes the statement that his favorite computer language has changed
over time and been "… augmented, overhauled, updated,
split into multiple dialects, then reassembled.…" He
also states that "A few programming languages—most
notably Fortran and Lisp—seem to be all but
immortal.…" Just like some really successful species,
they have survived.
There has never been, in human history, a riper laboratory for the
exploration of evolution and linguistics than the development of
computer languages. It's well documented, current and in an era of
rapid movement. It's an interesting process that I've been watching
for years. It seems to me to be obviously evolutionary.
Stephen L. Robinson
Fresno, CA
Mr. Hayes responds:
I'll grant that computer languages do change and diversify over
time, that they can be arranged in a sort of family tree, and that
their "fitness" is tested in the environment. But is that
enough to qualify as evolution? There’s one crucial element of
Darwinian evolution that’s missing here.
In biology, the variations that provide the raw material for natural
selection are randomly generated. Nature has no engineer consciously
and deliberately trying to improve a species; change is brought
about by blind mutation. In contrast, the changes introduced into
programming languages are surely not random; they are carefully
crafted to address perceived flaws or to improve performance in some
way or perhaps to test an idea that's thought to have promise. As I
said in the column, "The creators of a new programming language
are not just adding variety for its own sake; they are trying to
make something demonstrably better."
I believe this difference between biological evolution and the
engineering processes is important. For one thing, it implies quite
different ways of exploring the space of all possible designs.
Random mutation has the advantage that it will try anything, however
implausible it might seem a priori, and thus evolution can
often discover solutions that human designers might well ignore or
dismiss. But engineers have an advantage on their side, too: They
are not constrained to proceed in small steps from known solutions
into immediately adjacent territory. They can make giant leaps.