Author: Stephen A. Boak
Date: 12:06:13 08/26/00
With an ELO-based system, after a multiple round tournament among well-established players (i.e. rated over many games), it is possible to calculate and say: Player A performed (scored) as well as a player of XXXX rating would have been expected to score against the same opponents. Player B performed (scored) as well as a player of YYYY rating would have been expected to score against the same opponents. One can then compare XXXX and YYYY to see what the results of that tournament suggest about the relative ratings of Progam A and Program B. To apply this method to WMCC and get some meaningful conclusions about program playing strengths is difficult at best (perhaps not impossible), since the particular programs appearing at WMCC may not have well-established ratings due to being recent software improvements over previously released and rated versions. And those prior ratings of prior versions may have been earned on different hardware platforms. Subject to some rating estimates (guesses) and shrewd thinking, it is possible to assign some plausible ratings [but don't ask me to do this!] to the programs that competed in the WMCC and then run the suggested ELO calculations. Although the particular estimates of starting ratings may be argued, if those estimates are fairly reasonable, the ELO-calculated conclusions might be meaningful even if not 'perfect'. In the rating business, nothing is ever perfect anyway--random variation in testing and measurement always exists, from game to game, from tournament to tournament. --Steve
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