Behavioral Mathematics for Game AI by Dave Mark

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Synopsis

Human behavior is never an exact science, making the design and programming of artificial intelligence that seeks to replicate human behavior difficult. Usually, the answers cannot be found in sterile algorithms that are often the focus of artificial intelligence programming. However, by analyzing why people behave the way we do, we can break down the process into increasingly smaller components. We can model many of those individual components in the language of logic and mathematics and then reassemble them into larger, more involved decision-making processes. Drawing from classical game theory, "Behavioral Mathematics for Game AI" covers both the psychological foundations of human decisions and the mathematical modeling techniques that AI designers and programmers can use to replicate them. With examples from both real life and game situations, you'll explore topics such as utility, the fallacy of rational behavior, and the inconsistencies and contradictions that human behavior often exhibits. You'll examine various ways of using statistics, formulas, and algorithms to create believable simulations and to model these dynamic, realistic, and interesting behaviors in video games. Finally, you'll be introduced to a number of tools you can use in conjunction with standard AI algorithms to make it easier to utilize the mathematical models.

Biography

Dave Mark is the President and Lead Designer of Intrinsic Algorithm, LLC, an independent game development studio and AI consulting company in Omaha, NE. He has been programming since 1984 when he was in high school. Much to the dismay of his teacher, he wrote his first text adventure on the school's DEC PDP-1144. After a brief detour in the music business as a composer/arranger, keyboard player and recording engineer during the early '90s, he re-entered the technology arena in 1995. After being in the IT consulting and development world for 8 years, Dave left to start game, simulation and AI consulting company, Intrinsic Algorithm LLC with his wife, Laurie. He was a contributor to the AI Game Programming Wisdom series and is a regular columnist at AIGameDev.com.