🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov12.183048.1308@schunix.uucp> sonix@schunix.uucp (Duane Morin) writes:
>Often at work the senior engineer and myself discuss AI and such topics as
>computer game strategy.  He proposed a game that he suggests I attempt to 
>code an "optimal" strategy for.
>
>The game:  [Description of Dots-and-Boxes]

Before investing any more time working on this on your own (or getting,
for example, advice on academic topics like game playing and sorting
from this newsgroup :), find a copy of the following book:

Berlekamp, Elwyn R., John H. Conway, and Richard K. Guy.  _Winning
Ways_ Volume 2, London: Academic Press, 1982.

Chapter 16 is entirely devoted to the game you describe, and contains
more than you could ever possibly want to know on related strategy.
(Needless to say, you have tackled a decidedly nontrivial problem.)
Both volumes of _Winning Ways_ are brilliant and fun -- must-reads for
anyone interested in game theory.

Volume 2 also contains a proof-by-construction that Conway's Game of
Life is Turing-equivalent.  Neat!

Dave Baggett
--
dmb@ai.mit.edu           MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory                  
ADVENTIONS: interactive fiction (text adventures) for the 90's!
dmb@ai.mit.edu *** Compu$erve: 76440,2671 *** GEnie: ADVENTIONS