[computer-go] On expanding the UCT tree

[Chris Fant]

> I have been wondering about this: If it pays off not to expand a node
> until it has been visited 100 times, why not bite the bullet and make
> those 100 simulations in one go? That should save a bit of time
> traversing the tree up and down. Of course, it means that they all do
> get a full 100 simulations, even if the first 90 show a bad result.
> But it would make it easier to distribute the job to another thread,
> processor, or even another computer.

Without "biting the bullet", think about what the tree leaves will
look like at the end of a series of simulations.  The number of visits
through each will be anything from 1 to 100.  If you change the search
to "bite the bullet", then your post-search leaves will now all have
100 simulations through them -- than means the leaves must be
distributed in a very different way.  And the leaves comprise a large
portion of the tree.  So you've completely changed the search.