Mathematical Go: Chilling Gets the Last Point [Hardcover]

Elwyn R. Berlekamp (Author), David Wolfe (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568810326 | ISBN-13: 978-1568810324 | Publication Date: May 1997

The ancient game of Go is one of the less obvious candidates for mathematical analysis. With the development of new concepts in combinatorial game theory, the authors have been able to analyze Go games and find solutions to real endgame problems that have stumped professional Go players. Go players with an interest in mathematics and mathematicians who work in game theory will not want to miss this book because it describes substantial connections between the two subjects that have been, until now, largely unrecognized.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: A K Peters/CRC Press (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568810326
• ISBN-13: 978-1568810324
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very important book for the combinatorial games theorist, August 17, 1997

By 

Thane Plambeck (Palo Alto, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mathematical Go: Chilling Gets the Last Point (Hardcover)

Here's where all of you who are bored with Computer Chess and conventional mathematics should be spending your time. This is a deep book that hints at many interesting subjects. If you're a combinatorial games theorist you already know about this book. If you arent read this book and become one

11 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not suitable for Go players, August 20, 2002

By 

G. Cantor "Base three" (Mill Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mathematical Go: Chilling Gets the Last Point (Hardcover)

There is a small community of programmers attempting to create Go playing computer programs and this effort has met with some small success. To say the least, this work is in it's infancy - at least if this book is any indication.

If you're actually interested in Go, this book is not going to be much help. There are numerous alternative publications suitable for learning about the game. By the authors' own admission, virtually none of the "endgame positions" featured in this book would ever appear in a real game of Go played between humans with reasonable skill.

I imagine the material is somewhat interesting, at least in the abstract sense, but I would not recommend it to anyone looking for more than that.

11 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting reading, but not worth of owning, November 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mathematical Go: Chilling Gets the Last Point (Hardcover)

The title of the book should be understod literally. The book is not about 'last point' in sence of final argument to the topic, but really about which player, white or black gets the last point in Go game. This also means, that if you utilize all knowledge from this book either in your playing of Go or incorporate it into Go playing program, you at best score 2 points more territory in comparison to you opponent than without this knowledge. Reading this book is revealing in some sence, since it proves some 'common sence' assumptations wrong and gives some insights of mathematical handling of the Go, but the scope of the book is very limitted.