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From: tromp@daisy.uwaterloo.ca (John Tromp)
Subject: Re: AI difficulties
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Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 04:35:48 GMT
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In article <3kutek$3iq@news.duke.edu>, dnorris@acpub.duke.edu (Drew Norris) writes:
> Matthew S. Staben (mstaben@usnet.us.net) wrote:
> : One game which intrigued me back when it was "new" is Tetris.  You know,
> : the game with the four possible blocks in their possible configurations:
> 
> :         Block 1:  Square  : one configuration.
> :         Block 2:  L shape : four configurations.
> :         Block 3:  I shape : two configurations.
> :         Block 4:  T shape : four configurations.
> 
> : The strategy to a long-lived game of tetris is to recognise the power of
> : certain pieces, and how they can be used in a "prescient" manner so that
> : whatever the next few pieces are, they can be dropped into one of several
> : holes which have been created expressly for the purpose of providing a
> : receptacle for that falling piece.  Of course, several possibilities would
> : need to be supplied for each piece, as what often happens is that the same
> : piece may fall three or more times in a row, creating chaos with the entire,
> : painstakingly set up scenario.  Sound interesting so far?

Are any theoretical results known about tetris as a 2 player perfect
information game? I.e. the first player on her turn, choosing one of the
7 tetris pieces, and the second player on her turn chooses a rotation
and translation that the piece is to be dropped with. The result might depend
on the board width (10 is standard), but should be independent of height
for large enough heights.

Just curious...


regards,

%!PS		    %  -John Tromp (http://daisy.uwaterloo.ca/~tromp)
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