Gödel Machine
Goedel Machines: Self-Referential Universal Problem Solvers Making Provably Optimal Self-ImprovementsA theoretical design for a fully self-referential problem solver that may rewrite any part of its own code, including its proof searcher, once it has proved that the rewrite is useful under its utility function.
The Goedel machine's built-in proof searcher tests proof techniques until it finds a proof that a rewrite of its own code (the searcher included) is useful, then executes that rewrite. The rewritten machine keeps searching on its new code, so each accepted self-modification can enable further ones.
- Proof searcher tests proof techniques
- Executes useful rewrites of its own code
- Rewritten machine searches on its new code
- Proof searcher tests proof techniques
- Executes useful rewrites of its own code
- Rewritten machine searches on its new code
Why it is a road to recursion
It is the formal blueprint for full recursion: the machine may rewrite the very procedure that finds its improvements, not just its task policy.
Related loops
More self-modifying agents →- Coding agent edits its own code
- Scored child agents enter the archive
- Archived agents make later self modifications
- repeat
- Claude Code writes its own code changes
- Changes become next Claude Code versions
- Release becomes harness for next development round
- repeat
- Outer agent rewrites inner agent code
- Accepted rewrites become the incumbent agent
- Discovered agent becomes the outer loop agent
- repeat