Two Notes on Machine "Learning"

The plan of a program that enables a computer to “learn” to play tic-tac-toe, and related 3×3 board games, is described. The programmed computer has no built-in knowledge of the game to be played, except for a rule for determining legal moves. It specifically does not “know” that constitutes a win, loss, or draw, but must be informed of the outcome at the end of each play. Experience indicates that a fair competence in tic-tac-toe playing is reached after 30 to 50 plays. Generalizing from this example of a “learning machine”, thenotion of an L-automaton is introduced via a formal, behaviouristic definition, in an attempt to give an abstract characterization of machine “learning”. A solution to the design problem for a general class of L-automata is presented.