computer-go: Ladders and implicit knowledge

[Joan Pons Semelis <joan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some especulate with the possibility of finding a mathematical
property of go as there is one for nim that brings up the/a good
move without look-ahead. And at least as fast to compute as it.

Ladders happen to be the easiest problem in go, branching factor
is almost non-existant because the right and usually only move that
might work is easy to spot, thus humans have no problem (trained ones,
of course) in reading 60 plies deep to find the answer. Computers can
of course do it better. 

So, any serious attempt in that direction should take into account
ladders. After ladders are solved, more complicated life & dead
struggling would be next goal. But I can't see how to do it.

And in ladders, as in other life and dead problems, guessing the
answer before the search has gone all the depth needed is not a very
good policy.

Joan