> This is true, but unrelated to your original claim, that LLM algorithms and agentic algorithms are reducible to, exhaustively go down a list.
Well, first, this is not my claim. I'm saying that the behaviour of LLM algorithms and agentic algorithms are closer to "exhaustively go down a list" than "behaving like a persistent human".
But second, yes, they are _just_ systematically exploring the possibilities. They are not "just" a for loop, or they don't "just reduce" to a for loop, but they don't have any characteristics that make them different from a for loop in a way that grant them the attribute "persistent" while it is not granted to a for loop.
What does a agent do that is different from a for-loop and that means that the agent is "persistent" but the "for loop" (or a trivial variation of it that exists and that no one thought of calling it "persistent") is not?
> You're missing the objective here. It has an objective of Z, and so it tries approach X in furtherance of objective Z. Approach X does not work, so it analyzes the failure mode, then devises a new approach Y which takes that failure mode into account. It then tries approach Y, and succeeds at its objective of Z. This is persistence in pursuit of objective Z.
Again, there are 3 usages of "persistence": sense 'a', sense 'b', sense 'c'. I'm saying that there is a confusion between 'b' and 'c'.
In one of its definition, "persistent" means "overlasting". But it is ridiculous to say that people will call their postman "persistent" because the postman keep existing in the real world for more than one day. Obviously, when they say their postman is persistent, they using a different meaning, which correspond to what I've called 'b'.
What you describe here is just a normal decision chart, with one arrow linking one bottom box back to the top box (something that we can call "a loop"). It is persistent in the meaning that I've called 'c'.
> Just look at the definition.
I did. Did you? Cambridge dictionary mentions for example: "Someone who is persistent continues doing something or tries to do something in a determined but often unreasonable way".
You are claiming that there is no difference nuance between 'b' and 'c', that "persistent" is ALWAYS used in the way "try a lot" or "do a lot until it's done". If it is the case, how do you explain that this definition contains these nuance. Why are these nuances there if, according to you, these nuances are not part of the definition.
(unless your point is: "I look in a dictionary and amongst the definitions, I saw one that is used this way", which is a really bad logic mistake: the dictionary also contains the definition "sharp = has pointed edges", but it is not an argument against someone who says "if you say 'he is sharp', it does not mean he has pointed edges")
And, again, when you ask if a postman is persistent, it is ridiculous to not understand that normal human being will put that in context and will use the definition related to human beings (they will not answer: "yes, my postman is persistent because I also have a persistent cough and I saw my postman back at my door as often as I see my cough re-appearing").
Your answer seems to be: "'b' and 'c' are the same thing". This is not true. Dictionaries tell you it is not true. People in the street would tell you it's not true. Even LLM will tell you it's not true. If you are insisting that you are not able to understand this nuance, that exists according to everyone else, then you are just useless in this conversation.