However, the problem I came to find was not that of crashed experiments; they were all working fine. The problem was that of infinite PacMan. Two of the experiments (from 3) had scores in the millions, and spare lives equally as large, and the other experiment was exploiting a bug in the code where PacMan moves back and forth along the wall at a warp-point.

So, the first issue can be solved by having a level-limit. Perhaps I’ll stick with the 10 levels. So the nature of the experiment will be different to that of the paper, but it always was anyway. If the agent completes all 10 levels, then the episode ends.

The second issue seems to be a bug in the ghost code. Although PacMan was practically staying in the same place, the ghosts were just moving around in circles. The ghost’s movement is determined by a target point which they move towards. However, this movement algorithm doesn’t seem to take into account warp points (paths in the level that go out one wall and come in the opposite wall). I rarely see a ghost take one of these warp paths – if ever! A further method of halting infinite games (perhaps PacMan is able to outmaneuvre a ghost forever) is to simply place step limits on the episodes. Something quite big oughta do it.

Perhaps it is time to give the ghosts individual behaviour while I’m at it too. Currently, all the ghosts have the same greedy, but lonely, behaviour. A ghost will chase the player, but maintain its distance from other ghosts. This needs to be changed to the proper ghost logic seen in PacMan (or Ms. PacMan, in this case).

Anyway, here’s the two policies that were all about achieving infinite points:
[1]: if CONSTANT>0.0 then TO_DOT+
[1]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST<99.0 and NEAREST_POWER_DOT<5.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT+
[1]: if NEAREST_GHOST<5.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[2]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY>5.0 then TO_SAFE_JUNCTION-
[2]: if CONSTANT>0.0 then FROM_GHOST_CENTRE+
[2]: if NEAREST_GHOST>7.0 then FROM_GHOST-
[2]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY<1.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[2]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY>5.0 then TO_SAFE_JUNCTION-
[2]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST>99.0 then TO_POWER_DOT+
[2]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST>99.0 then TO_POWER_DOT+
[2]: if NEAREST_POWER_DOT>10.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT-
[3]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST<99.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT+
[3]: if NEAREST_GHOST>7.0 then FROM_GHOST-
[3]: if NEAREST_GHOST<4.0 then FROM_GHOST+


[1]: if NEAREST_GHOST<3.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[1]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY<2.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[1]: if GHOST_DENSITY<1.5 and NEAREST_POWER_DOT<5.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT+
[1]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY<2.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[1]: if CONSTANT>0.0 then TO_DOT+
[1]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY>3.0 then FROM_GHOST-
[1]: if NEAREST_GHOST<5.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[2]: if CONSTANT>0.0 then TO_DOT+
[2]: if CONSTANT>0.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[2]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST>99.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT-
[2]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST<99.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT+
[2]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY<3.0 then FROM_GHOST+
[2]: if NEAREST_GHOST>7.0 then FROM_GHOST-
[2]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST>99.0 then TO_POWER_DOT+
[3]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST<99.0 then TO_POWER_DOT-
[3]: if MAX_JUNCTION_SAFETY>5.0 then TO_SAFE_JUNCTION-
[3]: if NEAREST_ED_GHOST>99.0 then FROM_POWER_DOT-


Big policies, but they were still from the early part of he cross-entropy process. They seem to basically focus on getting all the dots, and avoiding ghosts when near.

I walked up to the labs today, in an effort to make sure I produce some work today. However, there is one key problem with this. The computers in my lab are all Macintoshs. I have been sparingly using this computer as I went through my book, using Google documents to create presentations (fortunately, I don’t have to use any Mac Powerpoint-like software).

Anyway, I started up Google Documents (through Safari, which is another area of frustration, as opposed to Firefox) and started bullet-pointing key ideas. Then I arrive at an equation in the PDF, which cannot be properly written in Google Documents, so I do what I normally do (on my Windows machine, anyway) and attempt to take a screenshot. Oh no! Macs don’t have the print screen key. Well, I’ll attempt to copy the screen using the Edit->Copy command. Perhaps that will take a screenshot of the PDF. Now, to paste it into some sort of image editing program. WAIT! Mac doesn’t have one of them. Not a simple-to-use one anyway. Mac, known for its awesomeness at editing images and all that design stuff, doesn’t even have a basic Paint program. Lovely…

Well, the internet will have the solution! I search for a Mac paint program and find a program that states it is similar to MS Paint. Works for me! I download it, then try to start it up.

Move this program to the Applications folder

Where the fuck is that! But I then remember something about it being in the Finder (the hell is Finder anyway?! I assume it is similar to Explorer for Windows, in that it controls everything). I find it, open it up, and drag the file in.

ACCESS DENIED!

Macs by themselves infuriate me, but when coupled with an access restricting laboratory environment, using them is torture. After several attempts, I couldn’t get it to work. So, I must find an alternate solution. Surely one can take a screenshot on a Mac. A quick Google reveals that you can, through several options: Shift+Command+Ctrl+3 or Shift+Command+Control+4+Space. Who the fuck comes up with this shit?! Why does taking a screenshot require 4 or more keys to be pressed? Windows has a convenient (well, not convenient, but it exists) key called ‘Prt Scr’. One press, and you have a screenshot. Surely the creators of Mac could have assigned a different key combination, perhaps something more intuitive? Maybe Shift+Command+S?

Well, I tried this demonic combination, but nothing happened! It allegedly takes a shot of the screen and dumps the file to the desktop, but nothing appeared there. Getting to the desktop is annoying enough as well. F11 is the only way I can get there, and even then, there are windows hovering about the edges of the screen. F11 sure is intuitive, you white, rounded-edge-loving pricks! Anyway, at this point, I gave up in frustration, and decided to return home and work there (after this post, of course).

So Mac, why no print screen key? You have F13 and F14, which, I’m sure are very useful, maybe as useful as all the other function keys! You remove print screen, a harmless key in no-one’s way, but leave Caps Lock? FUCK I HATE MACS!

• The Dark Knight – Best movie of 2008 and I haven’t seen it. That’s how much I don’t watch movies.
• The Castle – It was on the other night but I missed it.
• The Dark Crystal – Also on the other night. I know it’s a kids movie, but it has Skeksis in it, which I need to find out about.
• Being John Malkovich
• Dammit. I can’t remember the other one. This is why I remind myself…

This is Dal / Nellie / Darnielle here. I felt like infiltrating Sam’s blog to announce that I am planning on designing a halfway decent layout for this place.

Even though it’s not really used for anything other than Honours Project updates.

You’re so boring, Sam. Post something interesting… and cook me some eggs.

I’ve been reading Dal/Nellie’s blog and Amanda’s and there appears to be some hubbub about university. I don’t know the exact details, but I get the idea that Dal/Nellie thinks that it’s useless and others don’t.

First thing’s first, on Amanda’s blog, Nellie says

…and Sam (who is doing Honours this year) can’t seem to tell me if I will get any more than that because they didn’t.

(with regards to learning anything new)

I don’t recall ever saying uni did nothing for me. I have said it can be easy at times as I take COMP233 which is a paper on HTML and such which is an incredibly basic programming language. And other papers I find easy sometimes too as I’m just a quick learner.
Uni has been the best years of my life, both intellectually and socially. High school and such pale to insignificant specks to uni. I can’t say how much better it is. I have learnt things I love to learn, expanded my knowledge base, made awesome friends, and enjoyed myself pretty much all the time. Addressing the issues:

Intellectually
Nellie argues that everything learnt at uni can be learnt from a textbook or the internet. This may be so, if you have the will to do such a thing. Not to mention disambiguating complex equations and theories that could be explained by a professional in the matter of half a lecture. Another part of uni is that you are often set assignments that help bolster what has been learnt and give you practical applications to use the knowledge on. This can later be used in more independent projects which just ask you to (in my case) create some software that does x. No step-by-step process to guide you, just do it. The stuff taught to you by assignments lets you shape their use towards the project.

Now, all of this could be done from home off of the internet or from a textbook. But really, would you do it? Odds are, you’ll be working, so that cuts out a large percentage of the week, and in your spare time, studying may not be the first thing on your mind as you finish cleaning the toilet or what-have-you. The only other place to learn practical skills such as the ones taught in uni is in the workplace. The catch 22 for me is that I need a degree to get a decent job.

This leads me to my next point. You could be a self-taught, iron-will whiz but unless you have something proving that you can do what you say you can, employers won’t hire you. Not at the position you’re vying for anyway. Uni is a training ground and the degree at the end is the proof that you know whatever-you-know and that you can work through all that uni has put you through. Including deadlines, sickness, competition and multiple tasks/papers at once.

Socially
As we all know, students are stereotypically cast as drunkard ne’er-do-wells with very little money. Not everyone is like this, but enough are to keep that stereotype going. I got no problem with this, I embrace it now and then. Alcohol is a great social lubricant and led to me having some of the greatest nights (and no-so-great mornings) in my life. And I did this with other like-minded people that I met at uni. I came from a country school – relatively sheltered – and my friends from there aren’t as raucous (for lack of a better word) as the ones from here. Uni allows you to see the different types of people from all over the country and befriend them as you pass through the uni ranks. I can’t imagine going straight to work or worse yet, studying at home any better. Work has too many restrictions as to when you want to wet your whistle and studying from home is just straight up anti-social and will leave you a timid, shivering wimp in the workforce, unable to properly socialise with others. That may not be the case, but it could be…

Hopefully that solidifies my stance towards uni. Of course the main problem with uni is the price, but that’s what interest-free student loans are for. Call it a goal you have to pay off once you finish uni.