RE: computer-go: question

[Tim Klinger <klinger@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to all who responded.  I pretty much expected (and agree with) the
answers I got, but I don't think the question is trivial.  It is not at all
obvious to me how to use expert life and death knowledge in a full-playing
program.  After all, lots of strategic play has nothing to do with actually
making a block live or die.  There are threats, thickness, territory moves,
sacrifices, etc.  

Just as a simple example, suppose it is your turn to play and you can save
*either* block b1 or block b2, but not both.  In other words, your opponent
has a fork to kill b1 or b2 on his turn.  The oracle, if asked, will say
that b1 is dead, and similarly, that b2 is dead, since whichever you decide
to save, the opponent can deny you on his turn.  In this case just relying
on the oracle without analyzing the interactions between the two problems
will cause you to dramatically underestimate your score.

>Tim, are you making fun of us or what? :)
>
>-- Mousheng Xu

Definitely not.  If you really think that the problem is so simple (and
even if you don't) I would like to propose the following research project:

Write (or adapt) a go playing program to take life-and-death information
from a human expert in every position.  The expert will point to each block
on the board, identify it as alive or dead and provide moves to save or
kill on request.  The program will take that information and decide on a
move.  If you are right, then it should play somewhere around the expert's
level. 

Tim