Iris van Rooij 💭15h ago

🧮 🧠 🖥️ 🕰️ 💭

Excited to share new preprint (w/ @olivia)

Guest, O., Blokpoel, M., & van Rooij, I. (2026). What the Func? Multiple Realizability Need not be Vague. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19388964

This is a brief commentary on Multiple Realizability (MR).

We propose formalisations to assist theoreticians in thinking through how MR applies, at what levels, & how it can guide our modeling.

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What the Func? Multiple Realizability Need not be Vague

Abstract: Multiple realizability (MR) is not necessarily unclear nor does it purely operate at the computational level. To understand potential relationships between MR and other constraints, such as metabolic, we formalise possible meanings of function in cognitive science. We build on these to formalise MR, thus resolving its apparent vagaries. Importantly, MR formalisms meaningfully guide and constrain theory building.

Zenodo
Show threadIris van Rooij 💭15h ago

“(…) notions of MR have existed for millennia. Voula Tsouna (2023) explains: “Epicurus’ conception of the pollachos tropos [method of multiple explanations] is rich, nuanced, fairly coherent, and strongly motivated by methodological and scientific considerations” (p. 240)."

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https://zenodo.org/records/19388964

What the Func? Multiple Realizability Need not be Vague

Abstract: Multiple realizability (MR) is not necessarily unclear nor does it purely operate at the computational level. To understand potential relationships between MR and other constraints, such as metabolic, we formalise possible meanings of function in cognitive science. We build on these to formalise MR, thus resolving its apparent vagaries. Importantly, MR formalisms meaningfully guide and constrain theory building.

Zenodo
Show threadIris van Rooij 💭15h ago

"the argument applies to cognitive neuroscience [as well][: “there are in-principle reasons why explanatory pluralism is to be expected[:] the computational description is no more and no less realistic and fundamental than the mechanistic/implementational one" (Chirimuuta, 2018, p. 406).

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https://zenodo.org/records/19388964

What the Func? Multiple Realizability Need not be Vague

Abstract: Multiple realizability (MR) is not necessarily unclear nor does it purely operate at the computational level. To understand potential relationships between MR and other constraints, such as metabolic, we formalise possible meanings of function in cognitive science. We build on these to formalise MR, thus resolving its apparent vagaries. Importantly, MR formalisms meaningfully guide and constrain theory building.

Zenodo
Show threadIris van Rooij 💭

We propose 4 different notions of ‘function’ and formalise each.

1. Functional capacity
2. Functional theory
3. Functional goal
4. Functional role

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Preprint: https://zenodo.org/records/19388964

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7:34pmWeb
Show threadIris van Rooij 💭15h ago

We build on the 4 different formalized notions of 'function' to define different kinds of multiple-realisability and -realisation.

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Preprint: https://zenodo.org/records/19388964

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Show threadIris van Rooij 💭15h ago

"MR operates at each level[:] functional role can be performed by different functional capacities. Functional capacities can be realized by different algorithms & algorithm[s] can be physically realized in different ways.” — @olivia et al. (2026)

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Preprint: https://zenodo.org/records/19388964

6/🧵

What the Func? Multiple Realizability Need not be Vague

Abstract: Multiple realizability (MR) is not necessarily unclear nor does it purely operate at the computational level. To understand potential relationships between MR and other constraints, such as metabolic, we formalise possible meanings of function in cognitive science. We build on these to formalise MR, thus resolving its apparent vagaries. Importantly, MR formalisms meaningfully guide and constrain theory building.

Zenodo