I think that this is a different sense of the word “control” than controlling physical things.
UDT is about control in the same sense. See this comment for a point in that direction (and my last comment on “Ambient decision theory go-through” thread on SIAI DT list). I believe this to be conceptual clarification of the usual notion of control, having the usual notion (“explicit control”) as a special case (almost, modulo explicit dependence bias—it allows to get better results than if you only consider the explicit dependence as stated).
they don’t have to contain you in them in any form.
Can you elaborate on this?
See “ambient dependence” on DT list, but the current notion (involving mathematical structures more general than programs) is not written up. I believe “logical control”, as used by Wei/Eliezer, refers to basically the same idea. In a two-player game, you can control the other player’s decisions despite not literally sitting inside their head.
I’m not on that list. Do you know who the list owner is?
Just as a note, my current gut feeling is that it is perfectly plausible that the right way to go is to do something like UDT but with a notion of what worlds are real (as in Mangled worlds QM).
However, I shall read your theory of controlling that which is unreal and see what I make of it!
UDT is about control in the same sense. See this comment for a point in that direction (and my last comment on “Ambient decision theory go-through” thread on SIAI DT list). I believe this to be conceptual clarification of the usual notion of control, having the usual notion (“explicit control”) as a special case (almost, modulo explicit dependence bias—it allows to get better results than if you only consider the explicit dependence as stated).
See “ambient dependence” on DT list, but the current notion (involving mathematical structures more general than programs) is not written up. I believe “logical control”, as used by Wei/Eliezer, refers to basically the same idea. In a two-player game, you can control the other player’s decisions despite not literally sitting inside their head.
I just accidentally found this other decision theory google group and thought LWers might find it of interest.
I’m not on that list. Do you know who the list owner is?
Just as a note, my current gut feeling is that it is perfectly plausible that the right way to go is to do something like UDT but with a notion of what worlds are real (as in Mangled worlds QM).
However, I shall read your theory of controlling that which is unreal and see what I make of it!
Yes you are (via r****c at googlemail.com). IIRC, you got there after I sent you an invitation. Try logging in on the list page.
Oh, thanks. Obviously I accepted and forgot about it.