How Many Games of Chess: Exact answer given!
Scott Collins
collins at newton.apple.com
Mon Apr 4 13:49:57 PDT 1994
Based on new information I have at last answered the question of `How many
games of Chess' with finality. Here is the quote that woke me up to the
reality of this problem in combinatorics.
Jim choate writes:
>The fact is that the end game is what defines a game of chess and
>not the infinitude of possible paths between the first and last move.
The natural conclusion is that the complexity of the problem depends on how
much of the game you consider to be the `endgame'. Thus, the actual number
of different chess games: 5
2) White mates
1) Black resigns
0) Stalemate
-1) White resigns
-2) Black mates
Happily, this agrees with observed behavior. In fact, this is the way
posterity remembers them, e.g., "Oh, yes, Spasky won." ;-)
Scott Collins | "That's not fair!" -- Sarah
| "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis
408.862.0540 | for comparison is." -- Goblin King
................|....................................................
BUSINESS. fax:974.6094 R254(IL5-2N) collins at newton.apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc. 5 Infinite Loop, MS 305-2D Cupertino, CA 95014
.....................................................................
PERSONAL. 408.257.1746 1024:669687 catalyst at netcom.com
More information about the cypherpunks-legacy
mailing list