Jizhi Valley Offline Event | From Gödel’s Theorem to Autogenesis Theory: Complex Systems and Self‑Reference

Jizhi Valley Offline Session | From Gödel’s Theorem to Self-Creation Theory: Complex Systems and Self‑Reference…

Introduction

The origin of life, the problem of consciousness, machines self‑replicating, recursively self‑improving AI, self‑creating social systems… Almost every major issue in complex systems is related to self‑reference. So, what exactly is self‑reference? What is its mathematical essence? Why does every major breakthrough in complex systems involve self‑reference? I will explain self‑reference thoroughly over the next two reading sessions. First, I will show you a variety of self‑reference forms, including linguistic self‑reference, mathematical self‑reference, programmatic self‑reference, as well as self‑reference in painting, storytelling, and more; then I will let you see how this magical self‑reference works in Gödel’s theorem proof and in von Neumann’s construction of self‑replicating automata. In the next session, I will reveal the core mathematical form of self‑reference—the Kleene Second Recursion Theorem. Finally, I will demonstrate how to understand the origin of life, the consciousness problem, free will, AI’s recursive self‑improvement, and other major puzzles from the perspective of self‑reference.The event is located in Beijing Mentougou • Jizhi Valley, and everyone is welcome to join on‑site for an in‑depth experience.

To systematically review the latest advances in self-reference and AI, Professor Zhang Jiang from the School of Systems Science at Beijing Normal University and founder of the Jizhi Club, together with PhD student Li Xiaojian from Tsinghua University’s School of Artificial Intelligence, have launched the “Self-Reference and AI: From Large Model Self-Improvement to Consciousness Research” reading group. The group will bring together researchers and explorers interested in this topic to study cutting‑edge literature and exchange research ideas. The reading group will run online every Saturday from 14:00 to 16:00 starting September 5, 2026, for about ten weeks, featuring presentations, discussions, and post‑session video recordings. Researchers in related fields and anyone with interdisciplinary interest are warmly invited to join.

Report Overview

The origin of life, the problem of consciousness, machines that self‑replicate, recursively self‑improving artificial intelligence, the self‑creation of social systems… Almost every major issue in complex systems is related to self‑reference. So, what exactly is self‑reference? What is its mathematical essence? Why does every major breakthrough in complex systems involve self‑reference? I will explain self‑reference thoroughly over the next two reading sessions. First, I will show you a variety of self‑reference forms, including self‑reference in language, in mathematics, in programs, as well as in painting, in stories, and so on; then I will let you see how this magical self‑reference works in the proof of Gödel’s theorem and in the construction of von Neumann’s self‑replicating automaton. In the next reading session, I will reveal the core mathematical form of self‑reference—the Kleene Second Recursion Theorem. Finally, I will demonstrate how to understand the origin of life, the consciousness problem, free will, AI’s recursive self‑improvement, and other major puzzles from the perspective of self‑reference.

Share Outline

• What is self-reference?
• Self-reference in mathematics
• Gödel’s theorem
• Gödel’s proof
• Self-reference in programs
• Turing Halting Problem
• Theory of Self-replicating Automata
• Quine Programs that Print Their Own Source Code
• Commonalities in Self-reference
• Self-reference in Complex Systems
• Autopoiesis Theory
• Luhmann’s Sociological Systems Theory
• Self-awareness
• Free Will
• Recursive Self-improvement of AI

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Keywords

Self-reference, Gödel’s theorem, autopoiesis theory, Luhmann’s sociological systems theory

Speaker Introduction

Speaker:Zhang Jiang, Professor at the School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, founder of JiZhi Club and JiZhi Academy, chairman of the JiZhi Science Research Center, and former special advisor to Tencent Research Institute, Huawei Strategic Research Institute, etc. His main research areas include causal emergence, complex system analysis and modeling, scaling theory, and so on.

Personal homepage: https://jake.swarma.org/

References

1. Zhang, J.; Yuan, B.; Zhang, Q. Self-Referential Introspection in Large Language Models: The Critical Threshold for Recursive Self-Improvement. Entropy 2026, 28, 951. https://doi.org/10.3390/e28090951
2. Hou Shida Douglas Richard Hofstadter. Gödel, Escher, Bach. Commercial Press, 1997

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Event Preview

⏰ Time: 2026-10-24 (Saturday) 14:00-16:00

📍 Online: Tencent Meeting

📍Offline: Beijing Mentougou·Jizhi Valley (First Youth Film Center, 1st floor)

If you’re interested, please scan the QR code to sign up for the reading club. After registering, you can join the participant group for discussion. Looking forward to exploring the deep connection between self-reference and AI with you.

We recommend that, for the best class experience, you stretch your legs and head to the offline space at Beijing Mentougou·Jizhi Valley for face‑to‑face interaction.

Sign up for the reading group: “Self-reference and AI”

Professor Zhang Jiang from the School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, and founder of the JiZhi Club, together with PhD student Li Xiaojian from the School of Artificial Intelligence, Tsinghua University, jointly launched“Self-Reference and AI: From Recursive Self-Improvement to AI Consciousness Research” reading group, organizing researchers and explorers interested in this topic to jointly study cutting‑edge literature and exchange research ideas.

The reading group will run online every Saturday from 14:00 to 16:00 starting August 29, 2026, for an estimated 8–10 weeks, featuring presentations, discussions, and post‑session video recordings. Researchers in related fields and interdisciplinary enthusiasts are warmly invited to join.

Scan the QR code in the poster to register for the reading group

Registration Method:

Step 1: Scan the QR code with WeChat to fill in registration information.

(Scan QR code to register)

Step 2: After filling in the information, pay to register. If you need to use Alipay, please go to the reading club page on a PC to sign up and pay:

Step 3: Add the operations assistant on WeChat and join the corresponding themed reading club community (WeChat group).

PS:

We encourage in‑depth discussions on complex systems, artificial intelligence, and related specific issues. To ensure discussion quality, please avoid posting content that is off‑topic from this session’s reading club theme, lacks empirical basis, or is overly abstract philosophical speculation.

If the discussion content clearly deviates from the topic and does not adjust after a reminder from the host, we will have to remove that member from the discussion group to maintain the overall learning environment, and proportionally refund the unparticipated portion based on their actual participation progress.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Let’s work together to create a focused, in‑depth, and rewarding collaborative learning space.

Resources Available After Joining the Community

Full access includes: online Q&A, recorded playback, material sharing, community interaction, information synchronization, co‑creation tasks for earning points, and more.

Special Refund and Incentive Mechanism

We offer two ways for your investment to receive tangible returns:

1. Task Completion Refund Path
   

   Claim and successfully complete any two subtitle tasks, and you will receive a full refund of the registration fee, plus an exclusive Jizhi merchandise reward.

Operational Growth Incentive Path

After successfully completing a subtitle task, you can apply to become an Operations Assistant. Once the reading club project is completed successfully, the tuition fee will be refunded. Outstanding performers also have the opportunity to receive an additional scholarship.

Recommended Reading

1. “Self-reference and AI” reading group recommended reading material

Scan the QR code below to go to the Jizhi BanTu website to read the article: “Self-reference and AI: From Large Model Self-improvement to Consciousness Research”, the reading material recommended by the book club.

2. Recommended past public account content

Self-reference — The golden band connecting graphics and substrate

Consciousness Machine? — AI Perspective (Six)

An Introduction to “Consciousness Machine”: How to Give Large Language Models Self-Awareness?

Causal Emergence Reading Club Launch: Connecting Causality, Emergence, and Self-Reference — Exploring Cross-Scale Dynamics and Causal Laws.

Causality, Emergence, and Machine Learning: Launch of the Second Season of the Causal Emergence Book Club.

Launch of the Third Season of the Causal Emergence Book Club: Delving into the Core of Multi-Scale Complex Systems and Exploring Applications of Causal Emergence Theory

New Information Theory: From Decomposition to Integration | Causal Emergence Book Club Season 4 Launch.

Gathering Cutting-Edge Advances in Complex Systems, Assembling the Causal Emergence Academic Community: Causal Emergence Book Club Season 5 Launch

Causal Emergence Season 6 — Dynamics, Causal Abstraction, and Information Decomposition

Causal Emergence Season 7 — From Theory to Practice

For current students of BNU! Choose Zhangjiang courses, get a JiZhi Academy VIP and can also work as a subtitle editor

Click “Read Original”, sign up for the book club