Games

Wordle, January 30, 2024

Bruce Ediger

wordle grid 955

I solved 955 without any computerized help, but I think my second-to-last guess can generate an interesting regular expression.

Algorithmic Squava Players

Bruce Ediger

squava game in progress

I have four algorithms in my second attempt at writing algorithmic “players” for the game of Squava:

  1. Alpha-beta minimaxing
  2. Alpha-beta minimaxing with a better static evaluation function
  3. Monte Carlo Tree Search
  4. Monte Carlo Tree Search with UCT child selection

At this point, all but plain MCTS (#3 above) regularly beat me. How do my programmatic squava players do against each other?

Some Truly Awful Sudoku

Bruce Ediger

United Launch Alliance, an aerospace industry roll-up of General Dynamics Atlas, Martin Marietta Titan and McDonnell Douglas Delta launch vehicle divisions, put out this incredibly awful set of 9 Sudoku puzzles on Twitter. The purpose was to whip up enthusiasm for the 2021-09-21 launch of Landsat 9.

9 poorly composed Sudoku puzzles