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Subject: Re: Not too diffcult for computers

Author: Thomas Mayer

Date: 11:07:00 01/15/01

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Hi Pete,


> So instead of going back to Windows and fixing the
> problem, I got the Nunntest from a different computer and ran Comet on #10
> for a
> few hours.  On this one it went negative for a while, and then it went
> positive
> after that.  Hmmmm...

>12.	-0.67	10999	1777802606	 g2g3  b8d7  f1g2  a3a5  h2h3  f8e7
>13?	-0.81	13376	-2126666136	 g2g3  f8e7  g5f6  e7f6  d4e6  f7e6
>13.	-0.78	25638	-34456580	 f4f5  b8c6  f5e6  f7e6  d4c6  b7c6
>13.	-0.71	27082	197569083	 g5f6  g7f6  b1b3  a3a5  f1e2  h8g8

That is quite usual... I think Uli uses like me and most of the others a 32 bit
long variable to store the nodes count...

The range of a 32 bit variable is:
signed: -2147483648....2147483647
unsigned: 0....4294967296

As you can see, Uli uses signed variable... After 2147483647 moves it will
overflow and go back to negativ number -2147483648... Then it will be increased
again up to 2147483647 and after that again overflow...
I use unsigned which means that the effect occurs after 4294967296 moves, Quarks
node counter returns then to 0...
Maybe funny in this case is that in those days where i486 or i386 were uses for
chess, in most cases that was no problem, but things have changed... Anyway - it
does not influent Comets strength in anyway - a solution is to use a double
variable for node counter, but that WILL influent Comets strength because it
will get a little bit slower... (Well, maybe about 0,00000001% ... :) I think I
have read somewhere that Dieter Buerssner has implemented a double variable in
his program...

Greets, Thomas

P.S.: Chess programming is also fighting for every tick... so we won't implement
thinks that lose 0,00000001% .... :))))



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