MOPT(6)MOPT(6)NAME
mopt - multiple constant optimizer
SYNOPSIS
mopt
DESCRIPTION
Mopt finds "optimal" combinations of scanning or bombing constants for
corewar warriors. In contrast to other popular optimizers (optima,
corestep) which optimize for a single step value, mopt is useful for
optimizing complex bombing/scanning patterns of stones and cmp-scan‐
ners. The program asks for core size, target size, and up to 10 incre‐
ment/offset pairs. "Increment" is the distance between two consecutive
bombs/scans; "offset" is the position of the first bomb/scan relative
to zero. Increments and offsets can be simply numbers or "generators"
that provide a stream of numbers. If at least one generator is speci‐
fied, mopt will find the 20 best combinations of increment/offset
pairs, otherwise it will report the score for the specified incre‐
ment/offset combination. Generators have a syntax similar to for-loops
in the C language (see examples below) and use single letter variables
A through Z. You don't have to use them in sequence, i.e. A for incre‐
ment generator #1, B for offset generator #2 etc..
EXAMPLES
1) Suppose we have a stone:
spl #A,<B
add -1,1
mov <-2,-2
jmp -2
and we want to find optimal values for increments A and B:
Coresize: 8000 <enter>
Increment value or generator #1: a=4,a<8000,a=a+4 <enter>
Offset value or generator #2: 0 <enter>
Increment value or generator #2: b=1,b<8000,b=b+2 <enter>
Offset value or generator #3: <enter>
2) Now a carpet-bombing cmp-scanner:
sub incr,1
cmp 0,C
...
incr spl #-A,<-B
...
Coresize: 8000 <enter>
Increment value or generator #1: a=2,a<4000,a=a+4 <enter>
Offset value or generator #2: c=10,c<15,c=c+1 <enter>
Increment value or generator #2: b=a <enter>
Offset value or generator #3: <enter>
3) Lastly, a spl/jmp bombing cmp-scanner:
sub incr,1
cmp 0,C ;C is A/2
...
incr spl #-A,<-B
...
Coresize: 8000 <enter>
Increment value or generator #1: a=2,a<4000,a=a+4 <enter>
Offset value or generator #2: c=a/2 <enter>
Increment value or generator #2: b=a <enter>
Offset value or generator #3: <enter>
ALGORITHM
Scoring is based on Nandor Sieben's iterative optima algorithm with two
modifications: A variable gap cut-off ("target size") is used and early
gaps weigh more than late gaps.
AUTHOR
Stefan Strack (stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu)
PMARS PROJECT May 15, 1994 MOPT(6)
