Optimization of an evaluation function of the 4-sided dominoes game using a genetic algorithm

In 4-sided dominoes, the popular way of playing dominoes in Amazonas State, the strategies used for the game are more complex than those adopted in the more traditional 2-sided dominoes, the most popular dominoes game played in Brazil. This work presents the optimization of an evaluation function for the best move in 4-sided dominoes using a genetic algorithm. The evaluation function is composed of terms that incorporate the game´s strategies and are defined as: punctuating, facilitating future moves and complicating opponents´ moves. Coefficients were defined to determine the importance of each term of the evaluation function and a set of parameters and operators for implementation of the genetic algorithm. The players´ ability was calculated by the number of wins in 5,000 matches. The results obtained during the simulations showed that the team (composed of 2 players) that used the evaluation function with its coefficients optimized by the genetic algorithm won in more than 70% of the total matches.