How does 20 Q work?

Question

how does the game 20 q work.....how does know what you are thinking...how does it work

i know how to play it i just want to know how it knows what you are thinking of

Answer 1

hola it slowly eliminates everything possible...................:) plzz choose me for best answer!!!!!

Answer 2

I assume you're asking not HOW to play but how the computer figures out what you're thinking. It's a process of elimination. Each bit of information you provide allows the computer to rule out hundreds, thousands of possibilities. For example, is it bigger than a bread box? No. The computer knows it can't be a car, person, elephant, etc. Is it round? Yes. The computer knows it can't be a dog, lunchbox, book, etc.

This is exactly the same process people use when they play 20 Questions. The difference is, the computer can run through the possibilities so much more quickly and it can remember what it's ruled out. People usually get confused about what's been said and we can't think of EVERYTHING the way the computer does. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Each question it asks will eliminate some possibilities. Each category probably has a database of possible answers and questions specific to that category. With each question, a few of these possible answers are eliminated, as well as possibly a few questions. Example: If the possible answers the game had were a fly, an ant, a cow, and a horse and it asked the question "Is it bigger than a duck?" and you responded "No," it would eliminate the horse and the cow, as well as other questions that would be redundant. It's not all that different from a dichotomous key, something that biologists will use to determine what species a creature is.

Answer 4

if i'm guessing correctly, it's based on an algorithm with a tree diagram. This diagram gives certain paths to what ever you input. so it gives you certain choices and the computer narrows it down. Most tree diagrams are small but i'm guessing 20Q took a while to develop. It starts with broad questions and then narrows it down.

For example: Pick a number between 1 and 100. It would start with 'is it over 50?' 'is it even?' and work its way through there.

You remember the game Guess Who? it's a lot like that but with a much bigger board.

The internet one has a slight difference. It has the same idea but users input their answers if 20q doesn't know it and the AI develops so it doesn't get it wrong next time.

it's quite interesting how it knows but it's based on user interaction and development and that means it can continually get smarter.

Answer 5

By using your answers to the 20 questions it gradually, via process of elimination, comes to the most logical "guess" . Its still only a guess, I've stumped that lil sphere several times lol.
For example if you are thinking of a chipmunk, it will first via process of elimination, find out it is an animal, then small, maybe it's color, where it lives, what it eats, etc... Then it compares your combination of answers it's gathered to information in its memmory. Its in essence just a mini computer.

Answer 6

Well, I have this game. It really stunned me when about 90 percent of the time it guessed exactly what I was thinking about. But when one really sits down to think about it, 20Q is kind of like a computer. Based on the category you pick (animal, mineral, vegetable, etc.), it eliminates what you are not thinking about based on how you answer the questions. I guess one can say that the 20Q uses logic to come up with its answers. I hope this helped somewhat!

Answer 7

The internet version uses user supplied data to narrow down choices based on their input, if your opinion differs from other users the game has a worse chance of guessing correctly. Before the internet they used a small sampling method mainly of their designers and people on the streets as their data. Now the main 20q thing just uses the internet data.

Answer 8

To play the game you think of a thing and don't tell the other players. The players ask questions, such as is it living or can it move by it self. All the questions the other players ask have to be yes or no questions.

Answer 9

it does NOT know what your thinking. it just guesses and asks questions and then the 20th question, he guesses, and he doesn't always get it right because he GUESSES. i play it all the time. it's really cool, but the guy is rude. sheesh, haven't you ever played the REAL 20 questions? it's more fun when your playing the REAL version of it. because it's funny to see what they guessed and everything. and you can laugh and much fun. but on the 20 Q, it goes slow!! I'm telling you, it goes like this....
do.....you.....have....4....legs? that is how slow it moves. and you can't laugh or anything. you just look down and press buttons. yaaawwwnn!! and yeah, it does get really boring.

Answer 10

Well, the little thing askes you questions. ANd by finding out what your answer is, narrows down the possibilities by what does not match your answer! For example:

If it askes for a Category, and you say animals, it knows that it is an animal. THen if it askes if it ways more than a pound, and you say no, then they know that the animal is small and ways less than a pound, so by that elimanates all animals that way more than a pound. etc

Answer 11

Think of something the other person gets 20 questions to guess what your thinking.