The Society of Shogi
- A Research Agenda -
Reijer Grimbergen
Department of Informatics
Yamagata University
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
1
Outline
Introduction
The Society of Mind
The Society of Shogi
Building shogi agencies
Conclusions and future work
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
2
Introduction
Marvin Minsky’s Society of
Mind
A general theory about the
workings of the human mind
Few attempts to implement
the theory
Research question
Is a Society of Mind for games possible?
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
3
The Society of Mind
Important concepts of Minsky’s theory
Agents
Agencies
Problem solving
Growth
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
4
The Society of Mind
Agents
Agent
“Any part or process of the mind that by itself
is simple enough to understand”
K-lines
Used to turn on a particular set of agents
General classes: Nemes and Nomes
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
5
The Society of Mind
Nemes
Nemes
Represent aspects of the world
Polynemes: invoke partial states in multiple
agencies
Micronemes: refer to aspects of a situation that
are difficult to attach to any particular thing
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
6
Color agency
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Shape agency
Square
Oval
Cost agency
Round
100 \
Triangle
234 \
198 \
1000 \
Taste agency
Foul
Salty
Delicious
Sweet
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
7
The Society of Mind
Agencies
Frames
Used to construct agencies
Represent a thing and all the other things or
properties that relate to it in a certain way
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
8
The Society of Mind
Problem solving
Difference-engines
Reduce or eliminate the important differences between
the current state and some desired state
Censors and suppressors
Censors suppress mental activity leading to
unproductive actions
Suppressors suppress the unproductive actions
A-brains and B-brains
B-brains monitor the activity of the A-brain
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
9
The Society of Mind
Growth
Different forms of learning
Accumulating: remembering each separate case
Uniframing: finding a general description
Transframing: bridging different representations
Reformulation: new ways to describe existing
knowledge
Attachment figures
Goal learning instead of skill learning
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
10
The Society of Shogi
The Society of Shogi
Shogi agents
Shogi agencies
Problem solving in shogi
Growth in shogi
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
11
The Society of Shogi
Shogi agents
The basic shogi agents
Input agents: location of pieces
Output agents: knowing what a piece can do
Basic K-lines
Change the location of pieces
Change the abilities of pieces
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
12
The Society of Shogi
Nemes in shogi
Recognize castle
agency
Build castle agency
Build Castle
1
B7i
2
B4f
3
K7i
4
K8h
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
13
Recognize Yagura
Yagura
S6h
Perception Agent
S7g
Recognize
:
G7h
G5h
Attack
Perception Agent
G6g
:
B8h
Moves
B7i
B6h
B4f
Yagura Moves
:
S7i-6h
Action Agent
S6h-7g
Action Agent
G4i-5h
G5h-6g
B8h-7i
Yagura Bogin
S3i-4h
:
P3g-3f
Yagura Attack
P2g-2f
B7i-6h
Bogin
P2f-2e
B7i-4f
Susume-sashi
S4h-3g
:
Action Agent
:
:
2006/6/30
Action Agent
SIGGI-16
14
The Society of Shogi
Problem solving in shogi
Difference engines
Playing towards the optimal position
Censors and suppressors
Good players are unable to see bad moves
A-brains and B-brains
To avoid looping
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
15
The Society of Shogi
Growth in shogi
Different types of learning in shogi
Accumulating: Storing of the games that have
been played
Uniframing: Ibisha vs. Furibisha
Transframing: Joining pawn attack
Reformulation: Wall silver
Attachment figures in shogi
Professional players
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
16
Building shogi agencies
The three shogi agencies
Recognition agency
Lookahead agency
Learning agency
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
17
Building shogi agencies
Recognition agency
Recognition agency
Context agency
• Strategy, castle, attack strategy, piece attack, etc.
Evaluation agency
• Material, king danger, mobility, etc.
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
18
Defend Piece
Defend by drop
Pawn drop
Lance drop
Knight drop
Generate
pawn drop
on square
Generate
lance drop
on square
Generate
knight drop
on square
2006/6/30
Defend by move
…
Pawn move
Lance move
Knight move
Generate
pawn move
on square
Generate
lance move
on square
Generate
knight move
on square
SIGGI-16
…
19
Building shogi agencies
Lookahead agency
The lookahead agency
Move generator agency
• Capture piece, move attacked piece, attack king, etc.
Search agency
• Attach priority to moves
• Satisficing
• Feedback
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
20
Building shogi agencies
Learning agency
The learning agency
Overlooking a move
• New agents need to be created
Underestimating a move
• Changing the activity level of the agents involved
• Might need new agents
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
21
Conclusions and future work
Building a Society of Shogi seems possible
Building agents and agencies will be timeconsuming
Focusing on learning might be more efficient
Problem: Minsky’s theory is relatively vague about
learning
Research plan
Year 1: Recognizer agents and agencies
Year 2: Lookahead agents and agencies
Year 3: Learning agents and agencies
2006/6/30
SIGGI-16
22