Behavioral Mathematics for Game AI (Applied Mathematics)

Great book. I learned a lot of new practical techniques that will help me in my programming on a day to day basis.

Human behavior is never an exact science, making the design and programming of artificial intelligence that seeks to replicate human behavior difficult. Usually, the answers cannot be found in sterile algorithms that are often the focus of artificial intelligence programming. However, by analyzing why people behave the way we do, we can break down the process into increasingly smaller components. We can model many of those individual components in the language of logic and mathematics and then reassemble them into larger, more involved decision-making processes. Drawing from classical game theory, "Behavioral Mathematics for Game AI" covers both the psychological foundations of human decisions and the mathematical modeling techniques that AI designers and programmers can use to replicate them. With examples from both real life and game situations, you'll explore topics such as utility, the fallacy of rational behavior, and the inconsistencies and contradictions that human behavior often exhibits. You'll examine various ways of using statistics, formulas, and algorithms to create believable simulations and to model these dynamic, realistic, and interesting behaviors in video games. Finally, you'll be introduced to a number of tools you can use in conjunction with standard AI algorithms to make it easier to utilize the mathematical models.

Perfect for intermediate to advanced game programmers, this book shows readers how to use AI programming tools and techniques to create more realistic and interesting behaviors in video games. Readers are shown various ways of using statistics, formulas, and algorithms to create believable simulations and to model behavior. Additionally, the book introduces a number of tools that can be used in conjunction with standard AI algorithms to make it easier to use the mathematical models