## Planning as Inference
## Overview
Planning as inference casts action selection as probabilistic inference under a generative model. Desired outcomes are encoded as priors (preferences) and plans (policies) are inferred by minimizing expected free energy.
## Core Formulation
```math
P(\pi) \propto \exp\big(-\gamma\,G(\pi)\big),\quad G(\pi)=\sum_{\tau} G(\pi,\tau)
```
- [[../mathematics/expected_free_energy]]: balances epistemic and pragmatic value
- [[../mathematics/policy_selection]]: softmax over negative EFE
- [[../mathematics/variational_free_energy]]: perceptual inference objective
## Connections
- [[active_inference]]: unified scheme for perception and action
- [[predictive_coding]]: message passing implementation
- [[../mathematics/active_inference_pomdp]]: discrete POMDP instantiation
## See Also
- [[../mathematics/epistemic_value]] — Epistemic value computation
- [[../mathematics/pragmatic_value]] — Pragmatic value computation