[computer-go] The effect of the UCT-constant on Valkyria

[Michael Williams]

David Fotland wrote:
> So I'm curious then.  With simple UCT (no rave, no priors, no progressive
> widening), many people said the best constant was about 0.45.  What are the
> new concepts that let you avoid the constant?

Actually it's closer to 0.46.

Just kidding, I have no idea.  But great questions.  Looking forward to the answers.

> 
> Is it RAVE, because the information gathered during the search lets you
> focus the search accurately without the UCT term?  Many people have said
> that RAVE has no benefit for them.
> 
> Do most of the strongest programs use RAVE?  I think from Crazystone's
> papers, that it does not use RAVE.  Gnugomc does not use rave.
> 
> Is it the prior values from go knowledge, like opening books, reading
> tactics before the search etc?  Do all of the top programs have opening
> books now?  I know mogo does.
> 
> Do most of the top programs read tactics before the search?  I know Aya
> does.
> 
> Does it matter how prior values are used to guide the search?  I think mogo
> uses prior knowledge to initialize the RAVE values.  Do other programs
> include it some other way, by initializing the FPU value, or by initializing
> the UCT visits and confidence, or some extra, "prior" term in the equation?
> 
> Are there other techniques (not RAVE) that people are using to get
> information from the search to guide the move ordering?  I think crazystone
> estimates ownership of each point and uses it to set prior values in some
> way.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> David