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Subject: Re: Search algorithms

Author: Dave Gomboc

Date: 00:02:59 11/10/03

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On November 10, 2003 at 03:01:27, Dave Gomboc wrote:

>On November 09, 2003 at 20:36:08, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On November 09, 2003 at 12:01:25, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>>
>>>On November 08, 2003 at 11:09:35, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On November 07, 2003 at 14:14:58, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On November 07, 2003 at 14:14:08, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 22:31:49, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 20:43:58, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 19:46:29, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 11:22:54, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 09:47:32, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 08:33:49, Gian-Carlo Pascutto wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>On November 06, 2003 at 05:45:53, Renze Steenhuisen wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Depth-First Algorithms:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>  AlphaBeta (Fail-hard, Fail-Soft)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>  MTD(f)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Best-First Algorithms:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>  SSS*
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>The distinction between the three (and best-first and depth-first)
>>>>>>>>>>>>is very hazy, read "Research re: search and research" by Aske Plaat.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>--
>>>>>>>>>>>>GCP
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Eh?  The distinction is _huge_.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>One searches the tree in one direction and requires very little memory.  The
>>>>>>>>>>>other searches the tree in another direction and requires huge memory.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I'm not sure how you could say that the distinction is very hazy.  They
>>>>>>>>>>>are as different as night and day...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>However, MTD(infinity) is equivalent to (searches exactly the same tree as) SSS.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>That's fine.  A best-first (breadth-first) search can search _exactly_
>>>>>>>>>the same tree as a minimax (depth-first) search also.  Doesn't mean a
>>>>>>>>>thing about how similar the two approaches are, however...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>However, the trees are grown differently.    I don't think any book I
>>>>>>>>>know of uses the actual search space as a way to define a search
>>>>>>>>>strategy...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~jonathan/Grad/plaat.phd.ps
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Dave
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Fine, but the point is that in this particular case, they are not as different
>>>>>>>>as night and day. :-)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Dave
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>They are different in the base algorithm.  They are different in their
>>>>>>>memory requirements.  They are different in the order in which they search
>>>>>>>the tree.  They are different in how hashing may (or may not) work.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>They are *NOT* different in the order in which they search the tree.  The
>>>>>>traversal order is identical.
>>>>>
>>>>>More accurately, the node expansion order is identical.
>>>>>
>>>>>DAve
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Which specific depth-first vs breadth-first algorithms are you comparing
>>>>when you make that statement?
>>>
>>>The ones GCP mentioned: mtd(oo) and SSS.  mtd(-oo) and DUAL also have identical
>>>node expansion order.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>
>>
>>Yes, but _only_ in bizarre cases.  mtd(f) searches the same basic
>>tree multiple times to hone in on the score.  At least two searches
>>are required, at an absolute minimum.  Generally it requires more.
>>
>>Also it beats me how _any_ best-first algorithm could search the same
>>tree as any depth-first algorithm, except for pathological cases...
>
>Appendix B of Aske Plaat's Ph.D. thesis contains specific details demonstrating
>that SSS and mtd(oo) "evaluate the same leaf nodes in the same order when called
>upon the same minimax tree".  Reference #106 from that thesis is a technical
>report that contains the formal proof.
>
>Dave

The thesis is available here:
http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~jonathan/Grad/plaat.phd.ps

Dave



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