Laser Chess and the Consequences of Deterministic Games

Tokyo Tech Talks #9 uses Laser Chess as a starting point for a talk on deterministic games. In Laser Chess there are no dice and no hidden cards: every piece is visible and the laser always follows the same path through the same mirrors. The talk asks what is left to play for when nothing is left to chance. Ai, a mathematics and engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh, explores what it means for a game to be deterministic and what follows once every outcome is fixed by the rules and the moves. No game theory background is required, and the talk is followed by drinks and conversation in Shibuya.