Question 17360 – NTA UGC NET Dec 2023 Paper-2

(A) Alpha Beta pruning can eliminate with certainty when the value of a node exceeds both the alpha and beta bounds.
This statement is correct. When the value of a node exceeds both the alpha and beta bounds, it means that the subtree rooted at that node does not need to be explored further because it cannot affect the final result due to pruning.
(B) The primary purpose of Alpha-Beta pruning is to save computation time by searching fewer nodes in the same tree.
This statement is correct. Alpha-Beta pruning aims to reduce the number of nodes evaluated during the search process, thus saving computational time by eliminating the need to explore certain branches of the game tree.
(C) Alpha Beta pruning finds the optimal solution in all cases by exploring the entire game tree.
This statement is incorrect. Alpha-Beta pruning does not guarantee finding the optimal solution in all cases. It may still miss the optimal solution if the optimal path is pruned early in the search. However, it does guarantee finding the optimal solution in certain cases, particularly in game trees with specific properties.
(D) Alpha and Beta bounds are initialized to negative and positive infinity, respectively, at the root node.
This statement is correct. Typically, in Alpha-Beta pruning, the alpha and beta bounds are initialized to negative and positive infinity, respectively, at the root node before the search begins.