This is true, but unrelated to your original claim, that LLM algorithms and agentic algorithms are reducible to, exhaustively go down a list.
> No, they don't continue even when challenges are encountered. They try X, if X does not work, they _abandon_ X and try Y.
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.
If that's not the behavior you're seeing, maybe share your X, Y, and Z here, and smart HN folks can help fix things.
> That is blatantly not the common usage of "persistent".
Just look at the definition.
> Ask an LLM, they will confirm you that it's incorrect
Just look at the definition.
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.
I don't think you are right (I was ready to give you the benefice of the doubt, but the rest of your comment makes me think I should not trust your judgement). It is what they do under the wood, and they output text. You read the text, and this text says "I have feelings and I really want to achieve my goal". But this text is just what the LLM returns, not what the LLM really does: the LLM does not understand what this text means, it just understands that it is a valid and convincing sentence in the given context.
> To simplify, just ask the question: is it continuing to work towards an end, even when challenges are encountered? Yes, therefore, it is persistent.
No, they don't continue even when challenges are encountered. They try X, if X does not work, they _abandon_ X and try Y. They will query the web to find another Y, then another Z, then another one. They don't "insist", they don't "don't take no for an answer", they just explore everything. What happened with agents who got out of their sandbox is exactly that: they try to reach a flag, they noticed it was not possible in the way X, so they explore other ways, until their exploration show that going around the sandbox would help. But they did not re-asked and re-asked the same person again and again the same question. If the person says "no", they abandon this approach and move to another one.
> They certainly could be called persistent in delivering the mail
That is blatantly not the common usage of "persistent". Ask anyone in the street "is your postman persistent", and they will NOT tell you "oh, yes, they are" just because they are a postman. They will only say that for _some_ postmen, the ones that are indeed persistent: the ones that goes the extra miles that a "normal" postman do not.
> Again: that is not required by the definition or common meaning of "persistent".
That is just not true. Ask an LLM, they will confirm you that it's incorrect: people don't consider postmen "persistent" because they don't give up half way through their route.