150 Students Can’t Be Wrong! GamesCrafters, a Computational Game Theory Undergraduate Research and Development Group at UC Berkeley 12:00-13:00 EST in Theatre 3 ICT, 111 Barry St, Carlton, Australia Dan Garcia, Ph.D. Lecturer SOE, EECS Dept, UC Berkeley (on Sabbatical in Melbourne until 2008) 200

2/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Student Groups Problems Nothing to offer to your A+ students after course Nothing to offer to your A+ students after course Faculty-student interaction limited Faculty-student interaction limited Students don’t know how to bootstrap into research projects Students don’t know how to bootstrap into research projects Few opportunities for students to shine Few opportunities for students to shine Research, development, art itches not scratched! Research, development, art itches not scratched!Solution! Offer student groups that fit your interest Offer student groups that fit your interest Students can register as “group meeting” or “research project” Students can register as “group meeting” or “research project” Meet in the evenings so scheduling easy Meet in the evenings so scheduling easy Students can register over and over, choosing bigger projects Students can register over and over, choosing bigger projects 3 groups founded in ‘01 3 groups founded in ‘01

3/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Economic von Neumann and Morgenstern’s 1944 Theory of Games and Economic Behavior von Neumann and Morgenstern’s 1944 Theory of Games and Economic Behavior Matrix games Matrix games Prisoner’s dilemma, auctions Prisoner’s dilemma, auctions Film : A Beautiful Mind (about John Nash) Film : A Beautiful Mind (about John Nash) Incomplete info, simultaneous moves Incomplete info, simultaneous moves Goal: Maximize payoff Goal: Maximize payoff Computational Computational R. C. Bell’s 1988 Board and Table Games from many Civilizations R. C. Bell’s 1988 Board and Table Games from many Civilizations Board games Board games Tic-Tac-Toe, Chess, Connect 4, Othello Tic-Tac-Toe, Chess, Connect 4, Othello Film : Searching for Bobby Fischer Film : Searching for Bobby Fischer Complete info, alternating moves Complete info, alternating moves Goal: Varies Goal: VariesCombinatorial Sprague and Grundy’s 1939 Mathematics and Games Sprague and Grundy’s 1939 Mathematics and Games Board games Board games Nim, Domineering, dots and boxes Nim, Domineering, dots and boxes Film: Last Year in Marienbad Film: Last Year in Marienbad Complete info, alternating moves Complete info, alternating moves Goal: Last move Goal: Last move What is “Game Theory”?

4/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters What board games do you mean? No chance, such as dice or shuffled cards No chance, such as dice or shuffled cards Both players have complete information Both players have complete information No hidden information, as in Stratego & Magic No hidden information, as in Stratego & Magic Two players (Left & Right) usually alternate moves Two players (Left & Right) usually alternate moves Repeat & skip moves ok Repeat & skip moves ok Simultaneous moves not ok Simultaneous moves not ok The game can end in a pattern, capture, by the absence of moves, or … The game can end in a pattern, capture, by the absence of moves, or …

5/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Basic Definitions Games are graphs Games are graphs Position are nodes Position are nodes Moves are edges Moves are edges We strongly solve game by visiting every position We strongly solve game by visiting every position “Playing” every game ever “Playing” every game ever Each position is (for player whose turn it is) Each position is (for player whose turn it is) Winning (  losing child) Winning (  losing child) Losing (All children winning) Losing (All children winning) Tieing (!  losing child, but  tieing child) Tieing (!  losing child, but  tieing child) Drawing (can’t force a win or be forced to lose) Drawing (can’t force a win or be forced to lose) W L L WWW W T WWW T D WWW D W

6/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Example: Tic-Tac-Toe Rules (on your turn): Rules (on your turn): Place your X or O in an empty slot on 3x3 board Place your X or O in an empty slot on 3x3 board Goal Goal If your make 3-in-a-row first in any row / column / diag, win If your make 3-in-a-row first in any row / column / diag, win Else if board is full with no 3-in-row, tie Else if board is full with no 3-in-row, tie Misére is tricky Misére is tricky 3-in-row LOSES 3-in-row LOSES Pair up and play now, then swap who goes 1st Pair up and play now, then swap who goes 1st Values Visualization for Tic-Tac-Toe

7/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Tic-Tac-Toe Answer Visualized! Misére Tic-Tac-Toe 2-ply Answer Recursive Values Visualization Image Recursive Values Visualization Image Misére Tic-tac-toe Misére Tic-tac-toe Outer rim is position Outer rim is position Inner levels moves Inner levels moves Legend LegendLoseTieWin

8/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Computational Game Theory Large games Large games Can theorize strategies, build AI systems to play Can theorize strategies, build AI systems to play Can study endgames, smaller version of orig Can study endgames, smaller version of orig Examples: Quick Chess, 9x9 Go, 6x6 Checkers, etc. Examples: Quick Chess, 9x9 Go, 6x6 Checkers, etc. Can put 18 years into a game [Schaeffer, Checkers] Can put 18 years into a game [Schaeffer, Checkers] Small-to-medium games Small-to-medium games Can have computer strongly solve and… Can have computer strongly solve and… Play against it and teach us strategy Play against it and teach us strategy Allow us to test our theories on the database, analysis Allow us to test our theories on the database, analysis Analyze human-human game and tell us where we erred! Analyze human-human game and tell us where we erred! Big goal: Hunt Big Game – those not solved yet Big goal: Hunt Big Game – those not solved yet I wrote GAMESMAN in 1988 (almost 20 yrs ago!), the basis of my GamesCrafters research group I wrote GAMESMAN in 1988 (almost 20 yrs ago!), the basis of my GamesCrafters research group

9/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters GamesCrafters GamesCrafters.berkeley.edu Undergraduate Computational Game Theory Research Group Undergraduate Computational Game Theory Research Group 140 students since students since 2001 We now average 40/semester! We now average 40/semester! They work in teams of 2+ They work in teams of 2+ Most return, take more senior roles (sub-group team leads) Most return, take more senior roles (sub-group team leads) Maximization (bottom-up solve) Maximization (bottom-up solve) Oh, DeepaBlue (parallelization) Oh, DeepaBlue (parallelization) GUI (graphical interface work) GUI (graphical interface work) Retro (GUI refactoring) Retro (GUI refactoring) Architecture (core) Architecture (core) New/ice Games (add / refactor) New/ice Games (add / refactor) Documentation (games & code) Documentation (games & code)

10/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters GamesCrafters GamesCrafters.berkeley.edu Projects span CS areas Projects span CS areas AI : Writing “intelligent” players AI : Writing “intelligent” players DB: How do we store results? DB: How do we store results? HCI: Implementing interfaces HCI: Implementing interfaces Graphics: Values visualizations Graphics: Values visualizations SE: Lots of SE juice here, it’s big! SE: Lots of SE juice here, it’s big! Defining & implementing APIs Defining & implementing APIs Managing open source SW Managing open source SW OS: We have our own VM OS: We have our own VM Also eHarmony & net DB Also eHarmony & net DB PL: We’re defining languages to describes games and GUIs PL: We’re defining languages to describes games and GUIs THY: Lots of combinatorics here: position & move hash functions THY: Lots of combinatorics here: position & move hash functions Perennial Open Day favorite! Perennial Open Day favorite! “Research and Development can be fun?!” “Research and Development can be fun?!” Lines of Code: 8KJava 80KTcl/Tk 155KC

11/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Alumni Feedback Student feedback (2006 Student report) Student feedback (2006 Student report) Problem: “Undergrads find it hard to participate in research” Problem: “Undergrads find it hard to participate in research” Solution: “Create more activities like [Dan’s groups]” Solution: “Create more activities like [Dan’s groups]” “I learned more about real software engineering in GamesCrafters than in my CS classes combined” “I learned more about real software engineering in GamesCrafters than in my CS classes combined” “It pulled together all of the theoretical concepts from the various CS classes in providing my first practical application of my degree. Everything I learned in class was also present in GamesCrafters.” “It pulled together all of the theoretical concepts from the various CS classes in providing my first practical application of my degree. Everything I learned in class was also present in GamesCrafters.” “The experience prepared me for a career in software development in ways that my CS classes never could.” “The experience prepared me for a career in software development in ways that my CS classes never could.” “GamesCrafters was the defining institution of my undergraduate career at Cal.” “GamesCrafters was the defining institution of my undergraduate career at Cal.”

12/12200 Students Can't Be Wrong! : GamesCrafters Conclusion GamesCrafters.berkeley.edu GamesCrafters GamesCrafters 200 Alumni 200 Alumni 65 Games 65 Games Almost 250K LoC Almost 250K LoC GAMESMAN open source, download! GAMESMAN open source, download! Meta take-away Meta take-away Think of itches you need scratching; form an undergrad group! Think of itches you need scratching; form an undergrad group! Ruby on Rails Ruby on Rails ACM Prog. Contest ACM Prog. Contest … you fill in the blank! … you fill in the blank! 2007Sp GamesCrafters