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From: desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: net.startrek,net.games
Subject: Re: Is it logical to make random decisions?
Message-ID: <12635@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Tue, 25-Mar-86 01:02:49 EST
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Posted: Tue Mar 25 01:02:49 1986
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In article <2293@jhunix.UUCP> ins_akaa@jhunix.ARPA (Ken Arromdee) writes:
>The point is that randomly does NOT mean "without logic", that in fact 
>the most logical move can be a random decision.  I am cross-posting this to
>net.math to see if any game theorists can confirm this...  (can you?)

   Yes, in fact in almost all hidden-information games (that is, games where
you do not know exactly what your opponent is doing) random moves are often
part of the optimal strategy.
   In games like chess with no hidden information the optimal strategy never
requires random decisions, but some random decisions can nevertheless be
useful in real, non-optimal strategies (for example, to avoid repeating
previous defeats).

   -- David desJardins