How do symbols represent meaning in an information-processing system?

In an information-processing system, symbols serve as the fundamental carriers of meaning, distinguishing themselves from "tokens"—which are objects devoid of inherent meaning that a processor recognizes as unique elements of its "alphabet".1

Symbols represent meaning through the following mechanisms:

• Pattern Formation: Meaningful objects are represented by specific patterns of tokens, known as symbols. These symbols combine to form symbolic expressions, which act as the inputs, outputs, and stored data within the system's memory.1
• Symbolic Manipulation: According to the physical symbol system hypothesis, intelligence is produced by the processing and manipulation of these symbolic structures. The system performs elementary operations—such as reading, comparing, creating, modifying, and storing—to transform these expressions.21
• Semantic Representation: To handle complex information, such as natural language, systems use formalisms to map relationships between entities. These include semantic networks, where concepts are linked as nodes in a graph, as well as "frames" and "scripts" that define the attributes of objects, actions, and events.3

Ultimately, these symbols allow a system to organize, store, and retrieve information by mimicking the way concepts and data relate to one another.13