computer-go: Complexity & SW

["Fred Hapgood" <hapgood@xxxxxxxxx>]

These issues relating to ultimate complexity are interesting but
not directly relevant to the current state of computer go, which is
still way below what humans can do right now with the tools at hand.  
I suspect that if the number of man-years and master involvement 
invested in go as opposed to chess had been reversed, today
we would be seeing computer go programs playing at 3 or 4 dan 
and computer chess software struggling along with USCF ratings of 
around 1750.

Speaking of which, has anyone looked at FunGo2000 by Intellisoft?  
Seems to play at about the level of Hamlet, which is to say maybe 8 
or 9  kyu.   These are the strongest programs out there so far as I
know.  Anyone heard of any others?

If someone was to offer a a million dollar prize for a program that 
could play 1 dan (amateur) I'm sure it would be delivered
in two or three years, regardless of how complex GO is in any
ultimate sense.




www.pobox.com/~fhapgood