Experiments in Distributing and Co-ordinating Knowledge

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Ciancarini, Paolo^{; *}

Affiliations: University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Note: [*] University of Bologna, Department of Mathematics, pza. di Porta S. Donato 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: We have built a distributed chess program running on a network of workstations. The program consists of independent advisor processes each using different chess knowledge to evaluate the position; each advisor suggests a move to a co-ordinating process, which uses a selection policy to choose the move to be played. The program uses the knowledge embedded in a known sequential program, except that it is organised differently in different advisors. Experiments are reported with several different knowledge-distribution and move-selection policies. An encouraging result is that some programs built are significantly stronger than their sequential prototypes when using as few as seven workstations.

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-1994-17302

Journal: ICGA Journal, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 115-131, 1994