# Optimization

*Gradients, search, equilibria, and what a system is really minimising when it looks like it is learning.*

![Descent](/figures/descent.svg)![Descent](/figures/descent-dark.svg)

Topic · Descent

Gradients, search, equilibria, and what a system is really minimising when it looks like it is learning.

1 piece

-   **Essay** Oct 10, 2026 [Simple rules, whole societies](/writing/simple-rules-whole-societies)
    
    Three local rules give you a murmuration. Slightly different rules give you a stampede. The rules between agents deserve the same care as the capabilities inside them.
    
    [AI and agents](/topics/agents) [Mathematics](/topics/mathematics)
    

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https://emergence.live/topics/optimization