The Shannon number, 1078, is an estimation of the game-tree complexity of chess. It was first calculated by Claude Shannon, the father of information theory. According to him, on average, 40 moves are played in a chess game and each player chooses one move among 30 (but in fact, there may be as few as zero -in the case of checkmate or stalemate- or as many as 218). Therefore, (30×30)40, ie 90040 chess games are possible. This number is about 1078, as the solution of the equation 90040=10x is x=40×log 900. In game theory, game complexity is a measure of the complexity of a game. ... A chess table is a table with a chessboard painted or engraved on it. ... Claude Elwood Shannon (April 30, 1916 _ February 24, 2001) has been called the father of information theory, and was the founder of practical digital circuit design theory. ... Information theory is the mathematical theory of data communication and storage founded in 1948 by Claude E. Shannon. ... Checkmate (frequently shortened to mate) is a situation in chess (and in other boardgames of the chaturanga family) in which one players king is under attack and there is no way to meet that threat; it is a check from which there is no escape. ... Stalemate is a term that originated in chess. ...
The game-tree complexity of chess is now evaluated at approximately 10123 (the number of legal positions in the game of chess is estimated to be between 1043 and 1050). As a comparison, the number of atoms in the Universe, to which it is often compared, is estimated to be between 4×1078 and 6×1079. A chess table is a table with a chessboard painted or engraved on it. ... Properties For alternative meanings see atom (disambiguation). ... The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos. ...
The idea of creating a chess-playing machine dates back to the eighteenth century. ... A two-player game can be solved on several levels. ... A chess variant is any game derived from or related to chess. ...
External links
Mathematics and chess
The biggest number of simultaneous possible legal moves : the composition of Nenad Petrovic by Reinhard A. Scharnagl
In this work, Shannon proved that Boolean algebra and binary arithmetic could be used to simplify the arrangement of the electromechanical relays then used in telephone routing switches, then turned the concept upside down and also proved that it should be possible to use arrangements of relays to solve Boolean algebra problems.
Shannon developed information entropy as a measure for the uncertainty in a message while essentially inventing what became known as the dominant form of "information theory." The book, co-authored with Warren Weaver, The Mathematical Theory of Communication, reprints Shannon's 1948 article and Weaver's popularization of it, which is accessible to the non-specialist.
Shannon gave a rough example of an evaluation function in which the value of the fl position was subtracted from that of the white position.