%0 Journal Article %T Alpha-Beta Pruning and Alth£¿fer¡¯s Pathology-Free Negamax Algorithm %A Ashraf M. Abdelbar %J Algorithms %D 2012 %I MDPI AG %R 10.3390/a5040521 %X The minimax algorithm, also called the negamax algorithm, remains today the most widely used search technique for two-player perfect-information games. However, minimaxing has been shown to be susceptible to game tree pathology, a paradoxical situation in which the accuracy of the search can decrease as the height of the tree increases. Alth£¿fer¡¯s alternative minimax algorithm has been proven to be invulnerable to pathology. However, it has not been clear whether alpha-beta pruning, a crucial component of practical game programs, could be applied in the context of Alh£¿fer¡¯s algorithm. In this brief paper, we show how alpha-beta pruning can be adapted to Alth£¿fer¡¯s algorithm. %K game tree %K search pathology %K alpha-beta pruning %U http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4893/5/4/521