One of my students coded up some Toads and Frogs games last year and this semester wanted to improve the Elephants and Rhinos positions so they were all generated with mean value of zero.

The issue is that if you generate really random E&R boards, they are often either extremely unbalanced or there are very few moves available.

They got it working! Now you can play Elephants and Rhinos games where it's complicated to find and make the best moves. Try it out here:

https://kyleburke.info/DB/combGames/elephantsAndRhinos.html

(I don't want to say it's "hard" because you can still find them in polynomial time.)

#CombinatorialGames #UndergradResearch

#Sprouts2026 was yesterday and it was great! Sprouts is our annual conference in abstract games (often #CombinatorialGames) where students present #UndergradResearch for the contributed talks.

Here are my summaries of the talks: https://combinatorialgametheory.blogspot.com/2026/04/sprouts-2026-summaries.html

Here are a bunch of my after-the-fact thoughts: https://combinatorialgametheory.blogspot.com/2026/04/sprouts-2026-afterthoughts.html

I need to make sure I figure a bunch of those things out in time for next year!

Thank you to everyone who attended and especially to all of our great speakers. Craig and I agreed that we're very lucky to get such amazing talks!

The #Sprouts2026 program is coming along! We have nine contributed talks all lined up (from undergrads) and our keynote info should be going up later this week. https://kyleburke.info/sprouts/sprouts2026/

#CombinatorialGames #UndergradResearch

We got our first talk scheduled for #Sprouts2026! https://kyleburke.info/sprouts/sprouts2026/ I'm looking forward to receiving more proposals.

I've also been getting questions about writing #AIPlayers and updated the directions on that page. https://kyleburke.info/sprouts/sprouts2026/sprouts2026ComputerTournament.php (Some of the notes were about last year's game, whoops!)

#CombinatorialGames #UndergradResearch

We have a date for #Sprouts2026: Saturday, April 11, 2026. Woo!

Sprouts is a #CombinatorialGames conference where undergrads give the contributed talks. Everyone can attend. Registration is free and we have great talks as well as human and computer tournaments.

This year we're playing #BattleSheep. Come join us at Sprouts! https://kyleburke.info/sprouts/sprouts2026/

#UndergradResearch

Looking for a summer research experience abroad? ☀️🧪

Our lab is welcoming undergraduate students from the UK, USA, or Canada to join us next summer via the DAAD-RISE program!

Discover research in Germany and be part of a collaborative international community. 🌍🇩🇪🧬

🔗 https://www.izmb.uni-bonn.de/en/pbb/news#DR

#DAAD #RISE #UndergradResearch #OpenScience #AcademicOpportunities
@PuckerLab @samnm

Absolutely proud of Adam Lovato, Karissa Grier, and Diana Llamas for representing #CSUSM excellence in #undergradresearch at the 2024 #CSUBIOTECH Symposium!

#iafelab @calstate #FutureofSTEM @CSUSM #research @Pfizer

Opportunity for Undergrads: https://bit.ly/47NE6pP

The Critical Zone Collaborative Network & CUAHSI are offering a NSF-funded REU program in Critical Zone Science.

Work at one of 50 research sites across the U.S. this summer.

Stipend included.

Apply by Feb 6, 2024.

#UndergradResearch #CriticalZone #FieldWork #EnvironmentalScience

Pleased to share the latest issue of the North Texas Journal of Undergraduate Research--an Open Access academic journal published by the UNT Honors College and made available on the UNT Libraries Hosted Journals platform.

The North Texas Journal of Undergraduate Research, formerly The Eagle Feather, publishes high-quality undergraduate research from across the disciplines.

The mission of NTJUR is to promote high quality research among undergraduates. Research can be in any basic or applied field of study, including the physical and life sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, education, engineering, and the arts.

Please read and share some of the work of these emerging young scholars and support the continuing efforts of our faculty and the Honors College to mentor and provide opportunities for highlighting undergraduate research.

#OpenAccess #OpenScholarship #OpenPublishing #UndergradResearch #LibraryPublishing #Libraries

Link to issue: https://journals.library.unt.edu/index.php/undergrad/issue/view/15