Core Concepts¶

Understanding Amplifier's architecture and design philosophy is essential for building effective AI-powered applications. These concepts form the mental model you'll use throughout your work. This section explains the foundational ideas, patterns, and principles that make Amplifier work.

Section Contents¶

Quick Tips¶

• Sessions are stateful - Each conversation maintains history and can be resumed
• Agents are specialists - Delegate complex tasks to purpose-built agents
• Bundles compose - Layer multiple bundles to build custom capabilities
• Modules extend - Add new functionality without modifying the kernel
• Context is king - What the model sees determines what it can do

Key Principles¶

Modular Design¶

Everything in Amplifier is designed to be composed, replaced, and extended. No monoliths.

Thin Bundles¶

Bundles should be minimal—just enough to define behavior, composed from reusable parts.

Ruthless Simplicity¶

Complexity is the enemy. Every abstraction must justify its existence.

Trust in Emergence¶

Complex behaviors emerge from simple, well-defined components working together.

Where to Start¶

Understanding architecture? Read Architecture first—understanding the system design is fundamental.

Building custom behaviors? Start with Bundles to see how capabilities compose.

Extending the system? Modules explains the kernel's extension contracts.

Concept Map¶

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Application                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Bundle  │  Bundle  │  Bundle           │
├──────────┴──────────┴──────────────────┤
│  Agents  │  Tools   │  Context  │ Hooks │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Kernel (Modules)           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Providers (LLMs)           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Next Steps¶

Once you grasp these concepts, move to Bundles to see them applied in practice.