View source for Combinatorial game theory

'''Combinatorial game theory''' ('''CGT''') is a branch of applied [[mathematics]] and theoretical [[computer science]] that typically studies sequential games with perfect information.

== Description ==

CGT is largely confined to [[Two-player game|two-player games]] which have a position in which the players take turns changing in defined ways or moves to achieve a defined [[winning condition]].

== Perfect information ==

CGT favors games whose position is public to both players, and in which the set of available moves is also public ([[Perfect information (game theory)|perfect information]]).

== Games of chance ==

CGT has not traditionally studied games of randomness and imperfect or incomplete information (sometimes called games of chance), such as [[poker]].

== Examples ==

Combinatorial games include well-known games, including:

* [[Chess]]
* [[Checkers]]
* [[Go]]
* [[Arimaa]]
* [[Hex]]
* [[Connect6]]

They also include one-player combinatorial puzzles, and even no-player [[automata]], like [[Conway's Game of Life]].

== Game tree ==

In CGT, the moves in these games are represented as a [[game tree]].

== See also ==

* [[Automata]]
* [[Checkers]]
* [[Chess]]
* [[Conway's Game of Life]]
* [[Game]]
* [[Game of chance]]
* [[Game theory]]
* [[Game tree]]
* [[Go]] 
* [[Mathematics]]
* [[Perfect information (game theory)]]

== External links ==

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combinatorial_game_theory Combinatorial game theory] @ Wikipedia