Joseki libraries (was: Re: computer-go: About Viking)

[Bob Myers <rtm@xxxxxxx>]

magnus.persson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> And there is no joseki-library. The idea is that the program should 
> be prepared for any move you play against it. A joseki-library is the 
> last thing I will implement in my program - that is: never since there 
Thanks for the information on Viking.  I am wondering how many other 
programs adopt this approach of no joseki library.

Interestingly, a related topic came up in the book on computer checkers 
I am reading now.  The checkers expert on the project was resisting 
building a stronger opening library (yes, I guess checkers has 
openings), since it would, he claimed, reduce the program to a mere 
database lookup, etc. etc.   The author was in favor of a better library 
because it would, um, make the program stronger.

Anyway, I can easily imagine the myriad difficulties in getting a joseki 
library to work in a go program, but still all in all isn't this a 
relatively easy way to make a program stronger?  Even if the program is 
smart enough to figure out the right joseki move "on its own" (i.e., 
without reference to a book), having the information available in the 
form of a library should be able to chop huge pieces out of the search 
space and let the program spend its time analyzing more interesting 
parts of the game tree.  But what's more, in most cases the program 
would _not_ be able to figure out the right line on its own -- even in 
the game of checkers, a game who knows how many orders of magnitude less 
complex than go, a computer searching ahead 30 moves would still miss 
lines that were correctly documented in opening books authored by humans. 
--
Bob Myers <rtm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>