arXiv Machine Learning By Xianyi Wu

Is Monte Carlo Tree Search Just Every-Visit Monte Carlo Control?

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The article argues that Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and every‑visit Monte Carlo (MC) control are essentially the same method, differing only in terminology and presentation. It shows that MCTS’s four stages—selection, expansion, simulation, and backup—can be reduced to two core operations: sampling trajectories under the current policy and performing every‑visit MC updates. The note aims to make this equivalence explicit and easier to recognize.

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