Game tree
A game tree is a branching representation whose nodes denote game states and whose edges denote possible moves between them.
Grokking AI Algorithms, Second Edition
A tree representation whose nodes are game states and whose branches represent possible moves between them.
- How it is used
- Represents possible game futures for Minimax search and decision-making.
- How deep it goes
- Explains nodes, branches, leaves, alternating turns, heuristic evaluation, and depth limits, but not full-tree feasibility beyond resource constraints.
- Examples
- Uses simulated alternating turns, heuristic-scored leaf states, and Connect Four positions as concrete examples.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Minimax search to organize valid moves, simulate future states, and compare resulting scores.
Read how Grokking AI Algorithms, Second Edition explains game tree →
Inside AI
A game tree is a branching representation whose nodes denote game states and whose edges denote states reachable through legal moves.
- How it is used
- Models the branching possibilities that arise when computers analyze turn-based games.
- How deep it goes
- Defines nodes, edges, branching, and scale, then briefly connects the structure to endpoint evaluation in game programming.
- Examples
- Uses chess positions, move counts, the Shannon number, and IBM’s Deep Blue as concrete illustrations.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate the scale and structure of possible moves when reasoning about computer game-playing systems.
Related concepts
- treekind of · A tree is a connected, acyclic structure of nodes, commonly organized hierarchically through parent-child relationships and optionally around a designated root.
- Tic-Tac-Toeuses · Tic-Tac-Toe is a two-player game in which players alternately place marks on a three-by-three grid and seek a line of three matching marks.
- minimax algorithmused by · A game-search algorithm that alternates maximizing an agent's score and minimizing the opponent's score while exploring possible future moves.
- alpha-beta pruningaddressed by · Alpha-beta pruning is an optimization of minimax search that eliminates game-tree branches unable to affect the final decision.
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