Definition
Plain language
A helper agent that keeps notes on why past attempts at a task failed, so the next attempt doesn't repeat them.
As stated in the literature
In AutoformBot, a per-task agent holding the full history of failed attempts that writes a lessons-learned note (near-correct code, correct library names, dead-end strategies) which the next worker must read before retrying.
Why it matters: By recording why past attempts failed, it stops an agent from repeating the same mistakes and speeds it toward a working solution.
For example, after several failed tries at a coding task, it writes a note saying which library name was correct and which approaches led nowhere, so the next attempt skips those dead ends.
Heard on the show
“When a task fails, there's an agent called the trace analyzer.”Episode 101 — Treating Math Formalization Like a Codebase, and Where the Agents Cheat