Game Trees

William Dotson
Overview
Definitions
Minimax
Alpha-Beta Pruning
More Efficient Pruning
Deep Blue Deep Fritz
Conclusion
Definitions
Directed Graph
Nodes
Paths
Position Evaluator
Easy vs Hard

Game Tree Complexity
Tic-Tac-Toe 9! 362,280 states
Connect Four 10^13 states
Checkers 10^18 states
Chess 10^50 states
Go 10^170 states
Minimax
2 Players Max and Min
Generate Graph to depth D
Assign Values to Final Nodes
Build Up Tree Alternating Max/Min
Static Position Evaluator

3
2
1
2
1 1
2 1 2
Static Position Evaluator

X
0 0
Evaluate from Xs Point of View: State Value of 4
X
Minmax Example
3 Looks Ahead D = 3
Minmax Example
3 Looks Ahead D = 3
3 10 5 4 7 Max
Minmax Example
3 Looks Ahead D = 3
3 10 5 4 7 Max
3
4 5
Min
Minmax Example
3 Looks Ahead D = 3
3 10 5 4 7 Max
3
4 5
Min
5
Max
Minimax Pseudocode
MinMax (GamePosition game) { MinMove (GamePosition game) {
return MaxMove (game); best_move <- {};
} moves <- GenerateMoves(game);
ForEach moves {
MaxMove (GamePosition game) { move <- MaxMove(ApplyMove(game));
if (GameEnded(game)) { if(Value(move) < Value(best_move)){
return EvalGameState(game); best_move <- move;
} }
else { }
best_move <- {}; return best_move;
moves <- GenerateMoves(game); }
ForEach moves {
move <- MinMove(ApplyMove(game));
if (Value(move) > Value(best_move)) {
best_move <- move;
}
}
return best_move;
}
}
Alpha-Beta Pruning
Modification of Minimax
Next move needs consideration
If worse then best, first move which
opposition could take will be last move
we have to look at.

Alpha-Beta Diagram

Player


Opponent
.
.
.
Player


Opponent
M
n
General Case: If M is is better than N for Player, we will never get to N.
Minimax w/ Alpha Beta
MinMax (GamePosition game) { MinMove (GamePosition game) {
return MaxMove (game); best_move <- {};
} moves <- GenerateMoves(game);
ForEach moves {
MaxMove (GamePosition game) { move <- MaxMove(ApplyMove(game));
if (GameEnded(game)) { if(Value(move) < Value(best_move)){
return EvalGameState(game); best_move <- move;
} beta <- Value(move);
else { }
best_move <- {};
moves <- GenerateMoves(game); if(alpha > beta)
ForEach moves { return best_move;
move <- MinMove(ApplyMove(game)); }
if (Value(move) > Value(best_move)) { return best_move;
best_move <- move; }
alpha <- Value(move); }
}
if(beta > alpha)
return best_move;
}
return best_move;
}
}
Other Algorithms
Try to avoid horizon affect
Ignore paths that can be known to be
wrong
CCNS Controlled Conspiracy Node
Search
Target driven.
Used in Ulysses a 1988 Chess Program.
Deep Blue/Deep Fritz
Prunes Minimax Tree more intelligently
Both use Targets like Ulysses
Deep-Fritz uses Pattern Recognition
Deep-Fritz has 1.3% brute power of Deep
Blue, but plays at roughly the same level.

Conclusion
Game Trees
Minimax
Alpha-Beta
Moving Ahead

Resources
Alpha Beta Pruning Nodes.
http://sern.ucalgary.ca/courses/CPSC/533/W99/presentations/L2_5B_Lima_Neitz/search.html
Stuart Russel, Peter Norvig. 1995.
Minimax Trees. http://www.generation5.org/content/2001/minimax.asp James Matthews. 2001.
Minimax Explained. http://ai-depot.com/LogicGames/MiniMax.html Paulo Pinto.
Deep Fritz Draws: Are Humans Getting Smarter, or Are Computers Getting Stupider?
http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0527.html?printable=1 Ray Kurzweil 2002.