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| public:t-713-mers:mers-26:task_theory [2026/09/06 18:48] – [Task: How it Hangs Together] thorisson | public:t-713-mers:mers-26:task_theory [2026/09/06 18:53] (current) – [Task: How it Hangs Together] thorisson |
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| | **V**: Variables | **V = { v₁, v₂, … }**. Measurable and manipulatable aspects of the environment relevant to the task. Observer defines these formally (e.g., position, temperature); agent may only have partial/noisy access. || | | **V**: Variables | **V = { v₁, v₂, … }**. Measurable and manipulatable aspects of the environment relevant to the task. Observer defines these formally (e.g., position, temperature); agent may only have partial/noisy access. || |
| | **F**: Transformation Rules | Describe how variables evolve (physics, rules of a game, causal dynamics). These are **objective world relations**, available in principle to the observer. Agents must infer or approximate them. || | | **F**: Transformation Rules | Describe how variables evolve (physics, rules of a game, causal dynamics). These are **objective world relations**, available in principle to the observer. Agents must infer or approximate them. || |
| | **C**: Constraints | Boundaries of what is possible (time, energy, error bounds, resource limits). Again, **observer’s perspective** = formal definition; **agent’s perspective** = experienced as difficulty or failure when limits are exceeded. || | | **C**: Constraints | Boundaries of what is possible (time, energy, error bounds, resource limits). Again, **observer’s perspective** = formal definition; **agent’s perspective** = experienced as 'difficulty' or 'failure' when limits are exceeded. \\ Constraints specify acceptable tollerances for variable values (e.g. doing the dishes without breaking a single plate) but also limitations on the solution space (e.g. whether you are allowed to use a chatbot to help you prepare for or perform the task). || |
| | Simple Task | Few variables, deterministic (press a button). | | | Simple Task | Few variables, deterministic (press a button). | |
| | Complex Task | Many variables, uncertainty, multi-step (cooking, multi-agent negotiation). | | | Complex Task | Many variables, uncertainty, multi-step (cooking, multi-agent negotiation). | |
| | | Task Specification | The details of a task, including goal, constraints, etc. Humans often assign tasks to each other without a detailed specification; the assumption being that appropriate knowledge to fill in the missing parts already exists in the task performer. | |
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