Logical Thinking and Artificial Intelligence
Chess position analysis can be used to illustrate the logical thinking. The following board position describes a chess problem which has to be solved with 2 moves.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | 8 | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
The white has several options to make a move and checkmate the black. The move Rd5 × Rd7 or Rf7 × Rd7 will immediately provide material advantage to white. There are similar moves which capture pieces and provide immediate material advantages to the white. But a knight move Nc6 which does not provide any material advantage, provides a solution for checkmate for black in two moves.
| .. | Nc6 | |||
| 1 | ... | Kxf7 | 2 | g8Q++ |
| 1 | ... | Kxd5 | 2 | Qa2++ |
| 1 | ... | Rdxd5 | 2 | Re7++ |
| 1 | ... | Rfxd5 | 2 | Rf6++ |
| 1 | ... | Rdxf7 | 2 | Rd6++ |
| 1 | ... | Rfxf7 | 2 | Re5++ |
This is an example which illustrates the use of logical thinking. The logical thinking in chess progresses by evaluating the immediate material gain in each move. This will result in a solution which will require more number of moves or failure to checkmate. However, the not so obvious move of knight results in a very powerful checkmate. Even though this move does not look logical, it is the solution to 2 move check mate problem. A computer programmed to play chess might miss out some good opportunities if it does a material-based search to find moves. Several attempts have been made to build the powerful chess computers in history. But these chess computers have been defeated by Grandmaster human chess players.
Read more about this topic: Lateral Computing
Famous quotes containing the words logical, thinking, artificial and/or intelligence:
“The logical English train a scholar as they train an engineer. Oxford is Greek factory, as Wilton mills weave carpet, and Sheffield grinds steel. They know the use of a tutor, as they know the use of a horse; and they draw the greatest amount of benefit from both. The reading men are kept by hard walking, hard riding, and measured eating and drinking, at the top of their condition, and two days before the examination, do not work but lounge, ride, or run, to be fresh on the college doomsday.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“What strikes many twin researchers now is not how much identical twins are alike, but rather how different they are, given the same genetic makeup....Multiples don’t walk around in lockstep, talking in unison, thinking identical thoughts. The bond for normal twins, whether they are identical or fraternal, is based on how they, as individuals who are keenly aware of the differences between them, learn to relate to one another.”
—Pamela Patrick Novotny (20th century)
“Description is revelation. It is not
The thing described, nor false facsimile.
It is an artificial thing that exists,
In its own seeming, plainly visible,
Yet not too closely the double of our lives,
Intenser than any actual life could be....”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Since an intelligence common to us all makes things known to us and formulates them in our minds, honorable actions are ascribed by us to virtue, and dishonorable actions to vice; and only a madman would conclude that these judgments are matters of opinion, and not fixed by nature.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)