[computer-go] an idea for a new measure of a computer go program's rank.

[dan]

Hi,

The challenge to write a go playing program that could beat a professional was 
issued before the wide availability of Internet Go Servers, and broadband 
access.

Under these new conditions, it is trivial to write such a program, provided 
the game takes place on a server, and at time limits chosen by the program. 
For example a random point playing program could choose time limits of half 
a second per move, sudden death.

Therefore I suggest that a program's strength can (if needed) be expressed as 
the shortest time limits that a player of a standard strength (eg Pro. 1 dan) 
would be willing to play the program at, given an equal reward/loss regime 
(ie the chance of either winning would be 0.5).

The format of time limits for such games would need to be standardised, for 
example - it could be decided that only limits of the type 'sudden death, x 
number of seconds per move' were allowed.

In that case, 'x' could be used as a measure of the program's strength (as an 
abreviation for 'would beat a standard strength player half the time at x 
seconds per move')

Of course the strength of a 'standard strength' Go player varies, and 
professional one dans would likely be unwilling to be beaten in ultra blitz 
games for the benefit of computer go programmers, so 'amateur 1 dan' is a 
realistic idea for a standard strength go player.

dan