What's New - January 2017

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January 1, 2017:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

January 24, 2017: 

In 2002 I posted a simulation of a "machine" that played TicTacToe with 304 matchboxes representing all unique grid configurations and colored beads for each available cell in that configuration.  The machine, MENACE, was invented by British Researcher Donald Michie in 1960.  I've forgotten the entire expansion of the MENACE acronym, but the "NAC" part stands for "Noughts And Crosses", the British name for TicTacToe.  

The machine plays first and plays X's .  It learns as games are played by increasing the number of beads  in positions with X's in each box (moves are boxes) which led to the win  and taking beads away for losing  box  sequences.  I was contacted last month by a programmer wanting to investigate alternative learning algorithms.  That led me revisit the program, which led to TicTacToeMachine Version 2  posted today.   The new version has more options for watching the machine learn and more strategy choices in "AutoPlay" mode when the program is playing the role of opponent.