Author: Peter Kasinski
Date: 15:13:39 01/11/01
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On January 11, 2001 at 18:01:49, Dann Corbit wrote: >On January 11, 2001 at 17:51:13, Peter Kasinski wrote: >>On January 11, 2001 at 17:41:42, Dann Corbit wrote: >> >>>On January 11, 2001 at 17:33:04, Peter Kasinski wrote: >>>[snip] >>>>But why insist on science? >>> >>>No reason, really. Just a personal preference. >>> >>>>Isn't it equally valid to call it all a competition >>>>(which, after all, it is) and things falls into place nicely. Better ideas win >>>>and influence progress. >>> >>>If you do not know what the superior algorithm is, how will that influence your >>>progress? >> >>Oh, but it will. Not directly, no - but not wanting to lose can be a strong >>motivating factor. > >Motivation won't make your program run faster. If someone makes a revolutionary >advance (Like Alpha-Beta, Like Null-move) and keeps it to themselves it may take >decades for an alternative to be reinvented independently. If the pool of >algorithms becomes known and people still desire to remain ahead, then the >effort would still be the same (if not greater) to advance. However, I am not >so foolish as to believe that this model will become reality any time soon. As >Adam Smith's "invisible hand" fuels the capitalistic nations, the socialistic >enterprises feel the brunt of people not working hard to benefit their >neighbors. We are easily motivated by greed but very hard to motivate by love. > >>Secrecy impedes the growth of computer chess as a science. It does not >>necessarily do any harm to its entertainment value. > >This I must readily admit to as sound reasoning. And it is not as if life or >death hinges on who wins a chess tournament. Agreed then. By the way, doesn't this thread confirm a unique role of mr. Hyatt in this field? Hasn't he consistently enriched both: the scientific pursuit and entertainment in computer chess? I mean it the nicest possible way. Regards, PK
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