ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Expectiminimax

Imagine you are playing a game and you want to make the best move possible. Except, you don't know what move your opponent is going to make, and there are different outcomes depending on that. That's when you would use expectiminimax.

Expectiminimax is a strategy used in decision-making when each choice has a probability of leading to multiple outcomes. This happens in games, but it can also happen in other situations where you have to make choices without knowing all the information.

The term "expectiminimax" comes from three different techniques - expect, the probability of outcomes in a game, mini, the player making the smallest risk of loss, and max, the player seeking maximum benefits of a move. When used together, expectiminimax helps you make the best move possible by considering all possible outcomes and the probability of each outcome happening.

So, in essence, when playing a game of expectiminimax, you try to plan your moves based on the possible outcomes of your actions and your opponent's actions while taking into account the probabilities of each event happening. This will help you choose the best possible move, even if you don't know what your opponent is going to do.
Related topics others have asked about: