Simulation Hypothesis

Entities › Artificial systems

Game-tree search engines (chess)

Programs that enumerate possible move sequences to a fixed depth and score the resulting positions with a hand-built evaluation function. They prune branches that can't change the choice (minimax with alpha-beta pruning).

Programs that enumerate possible move sequences to a fixed depth and score the resulting positions with a hand-built evaluation function. They prune branches that can't change the choice (minimax with alpha-beta pruning). Their strength comes from search speed and a well-tuned evaluation, not from general understanding.

Sources

  • Shannon CE (1950). Programming a computer for playing chess. Philosophical Magazine 41:256-275.
  • Campbell M, Hoane AJ, Hsu F-h (2002). Deep Blue. Artificial Intelligence 134:57-83.