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Subject: Re: 6 game 40/2 COMP WINS just as i predicted!

Author: Jason Williamson

Date: 11:05:36 01/14/01

Go up one level in this thread


For a case in point, look at the game ALterman-Fritz.

NO GM on their worst day would get so badly outplayed....yet a computer did.

On January 13, 2001 at 03:21:06, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On January 13, 2001 at 03:03:38, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On January 13, 2001 at 01:58:00, Dann Corbit wrote:
>>
>>>On January 13, 2001 at 01:39:49, Robin Smith wrote:
>>>[snip]
>>>>>All that having been said, they are very likely GM's.  But it will be proven
>>>>>when it has been proven.  Right now it isn't.
>>>>
>>>>"Proven when it has been proven", that is an intersting statement.  It makes it
>>>>all sound so definate, precise and conclusive.  But if it is so precise, what is
>>>>the definition of proven?  The whole thing is actually quite silly, because it
>>>>takes something that is inheritantly probabilistic and tries to make it black or
>>>>white .... proven or unproven.  Mathematically this isn't so simple as you seem
>>>>to imply.
>>>
>>>With the current number of games played, the error bar is hundreds of ELO wide,
>>>and the center is barely on GM level.  If this were the level of certainty used
>>>to stop elevators or control heart machines, there would be dead people lying
>>>all over.  My point is that the experimental evidence does not point to a sound
>>>decision.  If someone tried to prove a hypothesis in a scientific journal with
>>>data that shaky they would be laughed out of town.  Actually, it would never
>>>make it past peer review and get published.
>>>
>>>This is what is simple:
>>>The current data does not point to a reliable conclusion.
>>>With more data a reliable conclusion could be reached.
>>>The hypothesis cannot be concluded on the basis of the data at hand.
>>>
>>>All that having been said, the hypothesis is probably correct.  But the current
>>>evidence is inadequate to say that it is proven.
>>>
>>>Well, sure, we won't ever have 100% reliable answers.  But we can have *GOOD*
>>>answers.  We don't have that right now -- not by a longshot.
>>
>>I do not like all this mathematical way to prove if someone is at GM strength
>>because it assume a simple model that does not exist and it ignores data.
>>
>>If I see a beginner's game against a GM I can by looking at the moves say that I
>>am convinced that this player is not a GM because a GM even in the worst day is
>>not going to do a lot of stupid tactical mistakes.
>>
>>Your model only see 1-0 result and will say that we need more games to prove
>>that the player is not at GM strength.
>>
>>People can have their opinion that they are convinced that a player is or is not
>>GM strength even if there is no proof by a mathematical model because the
>>mathematial model ignores a lot of data.
>
>Then propose a better model.  I'm all for it.  But to suggest that we can have a
>better proof by saying "Looks like a GM to me." is not something that I accept.
>
>Now, I want to differentiate something.  There is a difference between
>acceptance and proof.  To say that "I accept that computers are GM's because of
>the prevailing evidence." is perfectly logical and sound.  To say that
>"computers are proven to be GM's." is not.
>
>I realize that (for all intents and purposes) I am alone in my view.  I do a lot
>of things that way.
>
>Like Spike Lee said, "Always do the right thing."



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