Justin Lloyd's Thinkering

Somebody needs to think about this stuff...

Paper – Statistical Feature Combination for the Evaluation of Game Positions

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Today I read a paper titled “Statistical Feature Combination for the Evaluation of Game Positions”

The abstract is:
This article describes an application of three well-known statistical methods in the field of game-tree search: using a large number of classified Othello positions, feature weights for evaluation functions with a game-phase-independent meaning are estimated by means of logistic regression, Fisher’s linear discriminant, and the quadratic discriminant function for normally distributed features.

Thereafter, the playing strengths are compared by means of tournaments between the resulting versions of a world-class Othello program.

In this application, logistic regression – which is used here for the first time in the context of game playing – leads to better results than the other approaches.

Simple is as simple does

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American, at least the part when it comes to spelling individual words, is annoying.

I think I am going to start subtly slipping in “English (Simplified)” next to the American flag on all web forms and language selection screens that let you pick which language to use.

Which brings up the question: If your educational system makes a concerted effort to simplify a language in various ways, does that then make the user of the language have a simpler frame of mind?

Orwell postulated this position.

I wonder if the American education system is, without realising it, doing the same to its own populace.

Sage advice

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Working at the wood shop club last week and I am trying to figure out what I did with my safety glasses before I cut some lumber on the table saw.

I also cannot find the push blocks as they are not where they are supposed to be.

An older gentleman with wisps of salt and pepper hair on his mostly bald head comes over and asks what the problem is.

“Can’t find my safety glasses, and the push block isn’t at the table.” I respond.

“Oh dear God don’t be such a pussy and just get on with it.” said the gentleman with the glass eye and the misshapen jaw, who was missing three fingers from his right hand and the thumb on his left hand who walked with a pronounced limp.

Whenever I think I should turn on my table saw and “just get on with it” I shall think about “not being a pussy” and quietly ignore that advice.

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