Re: Mancala solved!

[Bram Cohen <bram@bitconjurer.org>]

Chris Nash wrote:

> The game has remained "unsolved" for centuries because the number of
> possible positions is "too many". But now computers are large enough
> and powerful enough, 12 fields is "solvable". Perhaps someone can
> confirm my guess that 14 fields is many times more difficult, and so
> may not be solved for quite some years to come.

Adding more fields would bring it out of the range of complete
brute-forceability, but that won't change the fact that on on games with
linear boards, such as mancala and backgammon, computers soundly trounce
humans.

-Bram