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[–] 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

Except that a compiler is not a stochastic machine.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 weeks ago

    You could set temperature to zero and it'd work less.

    As with path-tracing, physics simulations, and even sorting algorithms, sometimes an element of randomness is demonstrably more useful than rigid if-then branching. Sometimes it just avoids hard-to-judge decisions between marginally different choices. Sometimes it converges toward a simply correct answer. Sometimes it's chaotic - and many outcomes are equally valid.

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