It seems humanity has finally given up on simply playing.
Now even Wordle — that very morning five-letter game — has received an almost scientific manual.
Researchers from Binghamton University have developed a strategy that allows winning in approximately 99% of cases.
The point is to choose a word not based on the principle:
"Well... there are a lot of popular letters here"
and not by the method:
"For some reason, I like the word CRANE"
but by how much information each subsequent move will provide.
That is, now, opening Wordle over morning coffee, you can do more than just guess the word; you can mentally become a little Claude Shannon.
Previously, a person would think:
— I'll try STARE.
Now:
— Which option maximizes information entropy relative to the space of possible solutions?
And all this before breakfast.
The funniest part is that Wordle was originally an almost meditative game:
five letters, six attempts, a bit of luck.
And now somewhere nearby stands mathematics with a notebook, saying:
— Step aside. You're relaxing incorrectly.
The most wonderful thing is that such a strategy really can be very effective.
But there is one nuance.
If you spend 20 minutes calculating the perfect first word, and your acquaintance opens the game, writes the first thing that comes to mind, and guesses on the third attempt —
all information theory stops being comforting for a few seconds.
So now Wordle has two modes:
regular — you guess the word,
and advanced — first you get a little education in mathematics. 😄
