RE: computer-go: Authenticating the identity of a remote go-playing computer program

[Don Wagner <don.wagner@xxxxxxxxxx>]

A problems with this is that I could fairly easily write a program that does
the authentication then allows the 7 dan human to play.  A LOT easier the
writing a 7 dan computer program.

I can think of a few solutions:

1) Have the contestants send the executable program to the tournament
director, and use those.

2) Have the game able to run from the Internet (probably GMP via a TCP/IP
connection) and accesable any time for up to 1 week.  Then it would mean
that the 7 dan player would need to be accesabel the whole time.  Of course,
this can also be defeated/overcome, by having multiple 7 dan players be on
call for a different shifts, although if the prize money/prestige of the
tournament isn't very high, then it would probably not be worth the 7 dan
player(s) time.


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Myers [mailto:rtm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 12:19 PM
To: computer-go@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: computer-go: Authenticating the identity of a remote go-playing
computer program


Is it possible to authenticate the identity of a remote computer program
playing a game of go?

In Guiyang last month, I was talking with a go programmer, discussing the
possibility of having computer go tournaments on the net instead of in one
physical location.  I know that there are already tournaments being held on
the net, but the stakes are not high enough to motivate anyone to cheat.  If
a large amount of prize money were at stake, on the other hand,
unfortunately there might be people who would try to cheat (for instance, by
having a 7-dan human pretend to be the computer).  Thus, we need a way to
reliably authenticate the identity of a remote computer program playing a
game of go.

I know just enough about public-key encryption techniques and digital
signatures to believe that this is possible.  I hope that experts on this
list can shed some light on how it might work.  It would be ideal if a
standard could be established that eventually all go programs might adhere
to and thus allow more tournaments to be held on the net.

Bob Myers
IntelligentGo Foundation
www.intelligentgo.org