Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2025
14:14
The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
Published on: May 13, 2022
5.9K
Strongly solved Ostle: calculating a strong solution helps compose high-quality puzzles for recent games
1Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Peerj. Computer Science
|October 9, 2023
Summary
Researchers "strongly solved" the competitive board game Ostle using retrograde analysis. This computer science study confirmed the initial position is a draw and revealed fundamental game properties.
Area of Science:
- Computer Science
- Game Theory
- Artificial Intelligence
Background:
- Pure strategy board games like chess are popular intellectual pursuits.
- Solving complex board games is a significant challenge in computer science.
- Ostle, a relatively new (2017) unsolved board game, is gaining popularity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To "strongly solve" the game of Ostle using retrograde analysis.
- To determine the game-theoretical value of all Ostle game states.
- To identify fundamental properties and confirm the outcome of the initial Ostle position.
Main Methods:
- Retrograde analysis was employed to solve Ostle.
- Techniques such as bitboards and succinct indexable dictionaries were utilized.
- Memory consumption during analysis was significantly reduced through optimization.
Main Results:
- The initial position of Ostle was confirmed to be a draw.
- Fundamental properties of the game of Ostle were discovered.
- A tactical Ostle puzzle was manually composed using analysis outputs.
Conclusions:
- Solving recent board games can yield valuable insights.
- The study successfully determined the optimal play and outcome for Ostle.
- The findings demonstrate the utility of computational analysis in game composition.
Related Concept Videos
03:21Weak Base Solutions
22.8K
Some compounds produce hydroxide ions when dissolved by chemically reacting with water molecules. In all cases, these compounds react only partially and so are classified as weak bases. These types of compounds are also abundant in nature and important commodities in various technologies. For example, global production of the weak base ammonia is typically well over 100 metric tons annually, being widely used as an agricultural fertilizer, a raw material for chemical synthesis of other...
22.8K
01:29Problem-Solving
175
Effective problem-solving consists of two steps: 1. identifying the problem and 2. selecting the appropriate problem-solving strategy (i.e., a plan of action used to find a solution). Humans use four problem-solving strategies:
175
01:17Ampere-Maxwell's Law: Problem-Solving
650
A parallel-plate capacitor with capacitance C, whose plates have area A and separation distance d, is connected to a resistor R and a battery of voltage V. The current starts to flow at t = 0. What is the displacement current between the capacitor plates at time t? From the properties of the capacitor, what is the corresponding real current?
To solve the problem, we can use the equations from the analysis of an RC circuit and Maxwell's version of Ampère's law.
For the first part of...
To solve the problem, we can use the equations from the analysis of an RC circuit and Maxwell's version of Ampère's law.
For the first part of...
650
00:59Biot-Savart Law: Problem-Solving
2.7K
The magnitude and direction of a magnetic field created by a steady current can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law.
Consider a mobile phone battery bank as a source of steady current, which flows through the wire connected between the two. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field created by this current at a field point P?
To estimate the magnitude of the total magnetic field, we first consider a small current element of length dl, at a distance r from the field point. Now the following...
Consider a mobile phone battery bank as a source of steady current, which flows through the wire connected between the two. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field created by this current at a field point P?
To estimate the magnitude of the total magnetic field, we first consider a small current element of length dl, at a distance r from the field point. Now the following...
2.7K
01:31Ampere's Law: Problem-Solving
3.6K
Ampere's law states that for any closed looped path, the line integral of the magnetic field along the path equals the vacuum permeability times the current enclosed in the loop. If the fingers of the right hand curl along the direction of the integration path, the current in the direction of the thumb is considered positive. The current opposite to the thumb direction is considered negative.
Specific steps need to be considered while calculating the symmetric magnetic field distribution...
Specific steps need to be considered while calculating the symmetric magnetic field distribution...
3.6K
02:48Expressing Solution Concentration
58.9K
A solute is a component of a solution that is typically present at a much lower concentration than the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
Concentrations may be quantitatively assessed using a wide variety of measurement units, each convenient for particular applications. Molarity (M) is a useful concentration unit for many applications in chemistry.
Concentrations may be quantitatively assessed using a wide variety of measurement units, each convenient for particular applications. Molarity (M) is a useful concentration unit for many applications in chemistry.
58.9K