by Jamie Gould

Having travelled many a Matrix based site, all claiming to have the correct take on the theory behind the Matrix, I couldn't help but feel that although many have come close, all have missed the mark. The following is my interpretation of the theory behind the Matrix.

The machines start with the original iterations of the Matrix being perfect, however they find that humans try to 'wake up' from this reality, its perfection it would seem is in direct contradiction to the human experience. They therefore set about creating a reality from the humans past; they know that humans have existed with this version of reality so they are even more confused when the humans still begin to reject the experience. It is at this point the Architect decides that a lesser mind is needed, rather than his own perfect mind, by perfect I mean a mind based purely on logic, a mind trained to work based on deduction. The difference being that a perfect mind knows that 1+1=2 because it has been taught this, however a deductive mind must find this answer from experience. Just like a human mind the answer is found from getting it wrong 100's, 1000's, perhaps even millions of times, however the answer will eventually be found. The master of deductive reasoning is The Oracle, this also explains how the Oracle knows everything, she knows everything because her knowledge is based upon all possible permutations of reality, she has seen everything that can possibly happen within the matrix reality, however she cannot foresee the outcome of decision that she cannot understand. She knows all the paths, but not which one will be chosen. This is in essence the purpose of the Oracle. If she can work out which path with be taken by a human she will have worked out the ultimate problem faced by the Architect. The problem of choice.

You may well be saying, well that's all well and good but where does Neo come into this, I'm getting to that bit. Deep breathe… here goes.

The path of the one was the creation of Oracle, not the Architect. The problem of choice is the unknown element of the equation. It is this inability to correctly express the equation that causes anomalies in all the equations that express the virtual world that is the matrix. If you need to work out an unknown in an equation, the first thing you do is try to substitute out the unknowns. Originally this is exactly what she does, she waits for a complete human manifestation of the 'problem' and forces it to makes a choice, this can however not just be any old choice, like what flavour ice-cream to have! It must be a fundamental choice based on the human condition, cutting into the pure essence of what is to be human, besides, it is not a logical reaction like denial; the outcome of a choice is often a purely illogical reaction, hence why the machines can not understand it. Once the 'One' is made to make this choice, the 'One's' signature, or electronically sampled conscious is used as a blueprint to enhance the equations used to create the next iteration of the matrix. The process is not perfect however and the process is thought to be a long one, each time the anomaly manifests in human form the matrix can be improved.

However after the 6th iteration of this happening the Oracle starts to realise that there may be a better way. Another way to solve an equation is to reduce the number of unknowns or at least get them on only one side, She realises that if she can reduce the code in the matrix so that on one side she has neo (The pure manifestation of the problem) on one side and everything else on the other, as long as she can sample fully the side that neo isn't on then she has to have the answer. Normally this cannot be done as the matrix is full of blue pills. This therefore explains the end scene, Smith takes over Neo, at this point the machines have access to not only Neo, as they normally would after the path of the one is complete and Neo returns to the source, but they have access to full balanced equation. A risky game, indeed, as the Architect says, if it had gone wrong the 01 (machine city) would have been taken over by smith. However a far more efficient way of modelling the Matrix, don't get me wrong the matrix will not be perfect, hence there will still be people opting for the red pill, but the numbers will be reduced due to a more efficient modelling of choice. It wasn't that the machines didn't want to offer the humans choice, they just didn't know how to without it jeopardising the whole Matrix.