computer science

Logistello

Logistello is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Logistello rather than just read about it. In short: Logistello is a computer program that plays the game Othello, also known as Reversi. Logistello was written by Michael Buro and is regarded as a strong player, having beaten the human world champion Takeshi Murakami six games to none in 1997 — the best Othello programs are now much stronger than any human player.

Key takeaways

Logistello belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Logistello to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Logistello from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Logistello is a computer program that plays the game Othello, also known as Reversi. Logistello was written by Michael Buro and is regarded as a strong player, having beaten the human world champion Takeshi Murakami six games to none in 1997 — the best Othello programs are now much stronger than any human player. Logistello's evaluation function is based on disc patterns and features over a million numerical parameters which were tuned using linear regression.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Logistello

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Logistello claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Logistello before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Logistello ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Logistello

In research: Logistello appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Logistello in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Logistello is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Game artificial intelligence, Reversi software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Logistello outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Logistello in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Logistello means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Logistello out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Logistello in simple terms?

Why does Logistello matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Logistello?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Logistello.