Logically Speaking, Period 6, 26 May '09

[offthelisthero.livejournal.com]

Small desks were scattered throughout the classroom when the students arrived. On the desks were a checkered board, a stopclock, two closed boxes and two handouts.

"Computer programming is heavily logic based," said Mohinder. "Some of the earliest programs were written to simulate already existing games. The first chess-playing software was written in the fifties and forty six years later a computer beat a world champion under competition conditions." He backtracked into a quick summation of the rules of the game.

"Rather than using intuition or experience, these machines were programmed to sift through millions of possible outcomes several moves ahead, assess those and play the one with the best possible outcome. And on a more human scale that's what you're going to do today. Now, chess is only one of several logic heavy games - ones that have a limited or no dependence on chance - there's checkers, stratego, go..."

"Your boards are set up ready to play, so choose your game."

[OCD is up. Have at!]

Comments

Re: Playing 3 (LS)

[intraspective]

Ino grinned back. "Not just her threat? She's just got presence. Like some people have hats. She just wears it. And you know she's the leader and would know even if she didn't say anything."

Re: Playing 3 (LS)

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine's grin grew just the slightest bit wistful. "I know a few people kind of like that..."

Re: Playing 3 (LS)

[intraspective]

"Yeah?" Ino asked, curious.

Re: Playing 3 (LS)

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"My brothers," Valentine said, and then shook her head, rolling her eyes a little, "probably kind of cheesy, and probably a completely personal bias to boot, but that's what it's like with them for me."