Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 11:07:27 08/20/02
Go up one level in this thread
On August 20, 2002 at 10:55:33, Gian-Carlo Pascutto wrote: >On August 20, 2002 at 09:43:17, Sune Fischer wrote: > >>I had the same thought, copy-paste from net and you have a thesis, amazing... >> >>Looks more like an article for the sunday paper than a thesis. > >I would have to disagree 200%. > >It's by far one of the most complete accounts of whats needed in the >actual implementation of a program, it contains several new ideas, >describes some known ones that weren't formally described before and >it's written in a very understandable way. > >Also note that the main parts of it date back to before 1998. It >was only published now because there were a few chapters >that never quite got finished in the years before. This is why some >parts may be dated now. > >But even discounting the latter, your comments are downright >insulting and injustified, IMHO. > >Maybe I should throw a stack of ICCA journals at you, to learn >to relativate. I agree with GCP, and I also think that we should not be expecting radical new algorithms or some kind of magic from a Master's thesis. Sure, it's a rehash of known techniques. But the author is (I think) a *very good teacher* as far as explaining things. Let me go further... I really, really, wish I had this document at my disposal when I *first* started learning about computer chess. It would have saved me about TWO YEARS of effort. His writing is clear and understandable. The document has excellent organization. For someone who wants to learn how to write a chess program: THIS DOCUMENT is better than ANYTHING ELSE for a new beginner. It won't teach you some kind of magical excellence where suddenly you can pop off an engine that is clobbering Chess Tiger, Fritz and Junior. But it will show you all the necessary techniques and ideas to write a good, solid chess engine. What is more, it explains how they work and why they work in such an easy to understand manner that *anyone* can grasp it. Personally, I think that is a form of genius. For example, read Albert Einstein's notebooks. He talks about men in elevators and guys walking on trains. Simple, clear illustrations that anyone can understand. If you read Einstein's explanation of relativity, a 12 year old can understand it. This ability to communicate a difficult subject in a clear and comprehensible manner is a rare talent. The very fact that reading his thesis is like reading "Dick and Jane" is actually demonstrating its excellence rather than showing some sort of lack. Once again, his thesis is an excellent piece of work and something to be proud of. I expect that many new chess engines will get a very good start because of what he has done.
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