GAME OF GO : CULTURE AND SCIENCE

摘要

The ancient Oriental board game "Go" is a game of unfathomable complexity given rise to by a set of elegantly simple rules. It has played a key role in the Eastern societies and cultures of which it has been a part over the last thousands of years, and is rapidly gaining popularity in the West as well. At the same time, Go provides a fascinating tableau for mathematical and scientific research, in particular artificial intelligence and cognition. This article gives a simple introduction to the game itself, then reviews key cultural and scientific aspects of Go.