As far as I can tell, Newcomb problem exists only in English, and only because a completely aphysical causality loop is introduced. Every mathematization I’ve ever seen collapses it to either trivial one-boxing problem, or trivial two-boxing problem.
If anybody wants this problem to be treated seriously, maths first to show the problem is real! Otherwise, we’re really not much better than if we were discussing quotes from the Bible.
If you’ve seen formalizations, then it is formalizable. What are the formalizations?
Since I think the answer is obviously one-box, it doesn’t surprise me that there is a formalization in which that answer is obvious. I have never seen a formalization in which the answer is two-box. I have seen the argument that “causal decision theory” (?) chooses to two-box. People jump from that to the conclusion that the answer is two-box, but that is an idiotic conclusion. Given the premise, the correct conclusion is that this decision theory is inadequate. Anyhow, I don’t believe the argument. I interpret it simply as the decision theory failing to believe the statement of the problem. There is a disconnect between the words and the formalization of that decision theory.
The issue is not about formalizing Newcomb’s problem; the problem is creating a formal decision theory that can understand a class of scenarios including Newcomb’s problem. (It should be possible to tweak the usual decision theory to make it capable of believing Newcomb’s problem, but I don’t think that would be adequate for a larger class of problems.)
Why?
As far as I can tell, Newcomb problem exists only in English, and only because a completely aphysical causality loop is introduced. Every mathematization I’ve ever seen collapses it to either trivial one-boxing problem, or trivial two-boxing problem.
If anybody wants this problem to be treated seriously, maths first to show the problem is real! Otherwise, we’re really not much better than if we were discussing quotes from the Bible.
If you’ve seen formalizations, then it is formalizable. What are the formalizations?
Since I think the answer is obviously one-box, it doesn’t surprise me that there is a formalization in which that answer is obvious. I have never seen a formalization in which the answer is two-box. I have seen the argument that “causal decision theory” (?) chooses to two-box. People jump from that to the conclusion that the answer is two-box, but that is an idiotic conclusion. Given the premise, the correct conclusion is that this decision theory is inadequate. Anyhow, I don’t believe the argument. I interpret it simply as the decision theory failing to believe the statement of the problem. There is a disconnect between the words and the formalization of that decision theory.
The issue is not about formalizing Newcomb’s problem; the problem is creating a formal decision theory that can understand a class of scenarios including Newcomb’s problem. (It should be possible to tweak the usual decision theory to make it capable of believing Newcomb’s problem, but I don’t think that would be adequate for a larger class of problems.)