Survey formalizes agents as (θ,Σ): slow weight loop vs fast scaffold loop
maier_ak · x · 2026-09-22
A survey co-authored by Jilin University, KAUST, University of Alberta, and IDSIA (last author Jürgen Schmidhuber) defines an agent as (θ,Σ): θ the foundation-model weights, Σ the operational scaffold of prompts, memory, tools, and control logic. Self-improvement is a self-induced update changing either θ (slow loop) or Σ (fast loop). The 97-page survey cites 670 references.
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