Strange loop

Strange loop ( engl. a Strange Loop) is a term that has been introduced by the American physicist and Douglas R. Hofstadter Kongnitionswissenschaftler. The term describes the case of self-reference, in which the object that forms the starting point is affected or even damaged. This can create a paradox.

Introduced and discussed in detail the term was in Hofstadter's book Gödel, Escher, Bach.

• Classic examples: The Liar Paradox is one of the oldest strange grinding at all. The Russell's antinomy expresses strange loops by means of set theory. In the fine arts presents MC Escher's lithograph Drawing Hands is a strange loop, three-voice in the music of JS Bach Canon " Canon a 2 [per tonos ] " in the Musical Offering.

• Examples from pop culture: Rainer Langhans and Fritz Teufel brought in 1968 a book entitled Klau me out, which was trying to interfere with its own sales success. Like making the music group System of a Down, as they late 2002 the album aptly named Steal This Album! (English: " Steal this album" ) announced that looked like a blank CD.

• Computer science: Examples of strange loops in programs are Quine and self-modifying code.

At odd loops is often broken, a hierarchy such that, for example, instead of a person, a computer program to another computer program writes. This by itself is not strange loop, but only a self-reference.