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Subject: Re: History Heuristic

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 18:32:53 03/16/04

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On March 16, 2004 at 17:45:49, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:

>On March 16, 2004 at 14:48:14, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On March 16, 2004 at 13:52:21, Mridul Muralidharan wrote:
>>
>>>On March 16, 2004 at 13:06:34, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On March 16, 2004 at 12:41:55, Sune Fischer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On March 16, 2004 at 12:30:42, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On March 16, 2004 at 12:04:22, Sune Fischer wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On March 16, 2004 at 11:25:55, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On March 16, 2004 at 11:19:17, Renze Steenhuisen wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I principally agree with GCP here. I do not understand how in certain software
>>>>>>>>HH can work. Must be a bug in their move ordering IMHO.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>If you can't make them work, why do you reply to his post?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>-S.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Ignorance.  Unabashed ignorance...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What else?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>HH works just fine.  Of course if Vincent can't get them to work, then it is
>>>>>>impossible that they will work for anybody.  "proof" enough??
>>>>>
>>>>>Yes, and this time the poster even gets to contact him personally for more
>>>>>information on how NOT to make them work!
>>>>>
>>>>>I admit I can see his point, precious secrets _like that_ are not to be posted
>>>>>in a public forum :)
>>>>>
>>>>>-S.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>none of his "precious secrets" should be posted...
>>>>
>>>>:)
>>>
>>>Just try this - after the end of a 3 min search from a fairly complicated middle
>>>game position (like for example - Nxh6 nolot position) , print out the history
>>>values.
>>>
>>>You will see the junk that is contained in the table.
>>
>>Do you understand what this "junk" means???
>
>You obviously do not.

It works for me, and for others, so what part don't I understand?  Your
hand-waving??  I _never_ understand that...


>
>you collect about something very general data. that's just *too* general data.

Obviously not since it _works_...


>
>>I don't see how it can be called "junk".  The data simply reflects how useful
>>each move was in the search done.
>
>>>
>>>If you seriously expect much of information to be obtained from this for move
>>>ordering - I dont know what to say.
>>
>>I feel the same, except in an inverse way.
>>
>>History works for me.  Turn it off and the tree gets bigger.  A couple of
>>samples:
>>
>>          nodes w history       nodes wo history
>>pos1         38,151,984             42,728,175
>>pos2        167,685,660            184,874,107
>>pos3         81,663,363            124,704,814
>>
>>Now if you believe those three randomly chosen positions are worse because of
>>"random junk" feel free.  The tree size is _remarkably+ smaller on pos 3, and
>>significantly smaller on the other two...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>I like some other mentioned here though - clear it x number of ply or y number
>>>of seconds - helps to reduce the randomness.
>>
>>Why would I want to do that?  This data is useful all over the tree.  This is
>>the very idea behind it.  Killers are local.  History is global.  Use both.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Also Ed's idea is also somewhat better.
>>>
>>>I have not tried these , so cant comment - but helps in localising the effects
>>>to a smaller subtree where the tables could be potentially more relevent.
>>>
>>>But essentially , history tables in the general sense will detreriorate into
>>>random move ordering quiet soon for higher depth when number of nodes increases.
>>
>>Then explain how my "random move ordering" is way more efficient.  You are not
>>understanding what goes on in the history heuristic within the tree...
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Is that one of the reasons why you sort and try history scores for only first n
>>>(i think 4) number of history moves in crafty ?
>>
>>Nope.  It is for efficiency.  at ALL nodes ordering is irrelevant.  If, after
>>the hash move, good captures, two killers, I can't get a cutoff on one of the
>>first four history moves, I give up as I probably won't get a cutoff at all.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Maybe this could be an optimisation reason also - i dont know.
>>
>>It isn't anything but performance based...
>>
>>
>>>
>>>But if there is a possibility of hitting a better move earlier on using history
>>>tables , then shouldn't crafty not be trying it for all the moves ? - the gain
>>>could be potentially exponential in case of earlier cutoff !
>>
>>I _do_ try it _everywhere_....
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Mridul



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