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Can this be generalized as what happens when a feedback loop finds a local maxima? We see these all over, in software and society. What makes this particular p
by travisgriggs 5y ago
Can this be generalized as what happens when a feedback loop finds a local maxima? We see these all over, in software and society.
What makes this particular phenomena fascinating to me, is that it can be right under our nose, going on around us (because the circles can be big), and we don't realize it. Our regularly observed behavior and model of ants isn't this, and when we see one wandering, we don't realize there might be a bigger thing going on. And then we zoom out and there's this "aha" reveal moment, where we discover a model other than what we thought was going on.
- mizzao 5y agoOne example: the current US healthcare system with providers, insurers (e.g. middlemen), and end users?
- appleflaxen 5y agoIs it a local maxima, or is it a metastable solution? Or are those the same thing, at their root? (this is a legitimate question; I have a very limited math background, and would love to understand the distinctions better, or what variable is being locally maximized, if that's what this is)
- envp 5y agoMetastability and local maximums are the same. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metastability https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metastability
- abeppu 5y agoIn physical/chemical systems metastability and local _minima_ (of an energy function) are the same. But for cases where the thing being optimized is not energy, and where the universe isn't driven to the optimal state, do they need to be the same?
- _Nat_ 5y agoIt's like a stock-market bubble/crash, where prices can keep going up/down because [investors are acting following one-anothers' lead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trend_following https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trend_following ). In both cases, the social-animals are following their peers, inferring direction from them, ultimately forming a big loop that doesn't actually progress to a desired social-outcome because everyone's following everyone-else.
- saruken 5y agoThe capitalist dream! "Growth" can be infinite along a circular path
- _moof 5y agoI'm not usually a grammar guy but this one bugs me: the singular of maxima is maximum. "A local maximum," "twelve local maxima." Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
- jgwil2 5y agoAlso one phenomenon, multiple phenomena.
- saltyfamiliar 5y agoI know this but every time I try to speak the words I say the wrong one.
- _moof 5y agoCriterion, criteria... Greek and Latin will get ya.
- silisili 5y agoYeah, after seeing a video, it reminds me of something out of r/politics.
- chansiky 5y agoCircular dependency?