An evaluation function, also known as a heuristic evaluation function or static evaluation function, is a function used by game-playing computer programs to estimate the value or goodness of a position (usually at a leaf or terminal node) in a game tree.
Is "goodness" an actual term in use in this context, or should it more properly be something like "perceived optimality"? I ask because, for instance, in Combinatorial Game Theory, a lighthearted term such as "loopy" is preferred by some mathematicians (Demaine) over the more serious term "cyclic" (Fraenkel). On a related note, is the use of "position" instead of "node" preferred here as an acknowledgment of the heuristic nature of evaluation functions? (My understanding is that "position", "node" and "game" may all be interchangeable in certain contexts.)
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asked Feb 22, 2017 at 20:52
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