What is SP?

An unorthodox view of computing is embodied in the so-called SP Theory and its associated computing language and «new-generation» computing system. The central contention of this theory is that computing is data compression; and the sole function of the SP «computer» is to compress data supplied ― ranging from running programs to making logical deductions ― are said to result merely as side-effects of the compression process. This paper examines the operation of the proposed system and evaluates its theoretical basis. Particular attention is paid to certain issues, such as computational complexity