Merge pull request #204 from madcpf/read2

Update readme file of quantum Chinese chess

examples/quantum_chinese_chess/README.md

@@ -1,7 +1,126 @@
-# How to use the game
+Quantum Chinese Chess
+================
+This project is inspired by the [Quantum Chess project](https://quantumai.google/cirq/experiments/unitary/quantum_chess/concepts). 
+It aims to introduce quantum moves to Chinese Chess (also called Xiangqi) so that the basic idea of quantum physics could be 
+introduced to the players.
 
-After cloning the Unitary library you can use command line flags to run the game:
+## How to run the game
+
+After cloning the Unitary library, you can use the following command line to run the game:
 
 ```
 python -m examples.quantum_chinese_chess.chess
 ```
+
+Currently, we don't have a graphical interface. Text display is supported at Linux terminal, Mac terminal, Colab, and Sublime 
+Terminus.
+
+## Game rules
+Game rules of Quantum Chinese Chess consist of classical and quantum rules. You may learn the classical Chinese Chess rules 
+from the following sources:
+  - [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi)
+
+  - [A Chess Player’s Guide to Xiangqi | The Basics of Chinese Chess](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vklqOLf6mtU)
+
+  - [Chess vs. Xiangqi | A Comparison of Game Pieces and Moves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kptxJgEEF5A)
+
+In addition to the classical rules, we introduce the quantum rules which allow pieces (except Kings) to split and merge:
+| | Split / Merge | 
+|--|--|
+|Kings|N|
+|Advisors|Y|
+|Elephants|Y|
+|Horses|Y|
+|Rooks|Y|
+|Cannons|Y|
+|Pawns|Y|
+
+For quantum moves, there are some restrictions that each piece needs to conform:
+### Kings <sub>(a.k.a. Generals)</sub>
+All moves are restricted within the `palace`. In the first version of the implementation, we don’t allow Kings to split or 
+merge.
+
+### Advisors <sub>(a.k.a. Guards)</sub>
+All (classical, quantum) moves are restricted within the `palace`.
+
+### Elephants <sub>(a.k.a. Bishops)</sub>
+All moves are restricted within each player’s own side, i.e. not crossing the `river`. The condition "`elephant's eye is not
+blocked`" is checked for all elephants' moves.
+
+### Horses <sub>(a.k.a. Knights)</sub>
+The condition "`horse's leg is not hobbled`" is checked for all horses' moves.
+
+### Rooks <sub>(a.k.a. Chariots)</sub>
+No special restrictions.
+
+### Cannons
+For a cannon to capture a target, i.e. `fire`, there should be exactly one `cannon platform` between the cannon and the 
+target. If there are nonzero quantum pieces and less than 2 classical pieces in between, a measurement will be performed to
+determine if the `fire` could be made.
+
+### Pawns <sub>(a.k.a. Soldiers)</sub> 
+No split or merge is allowed before crossing the `river`. After crossing the `river`, neither split nor merge could move 
+backward or stay at the same location, but could only move forward or horizontally.
+
+### Endgame rules
+We still obey the `flying general rule`. As long as there is a non-zero probability of ending the game (e.g. there are no 
+classical pieces but nonzero quantum pieces between two kings), we will measure the relevant pieces to determine whether 
+the game ends.
+
+## Commands
+Each location on the board is represented by two chars [abcdefghi][0-9], i.e. from `a0` to `i9`. The legal commands are 
+(`s`=source, `t`=target)
+- `s1t1` to do a classical move, e.g. "a1a4"; 
+- `s1^t1t2` to do a split move, e.g. "a1^b1a2";
+- `s1s2^t1` to do a merge move, e.g. "b1a2^a1";
+
+Other commands:
+
+- `peek`: to peek (print a sample of) the current board state
+- `peek all`: to print all possible board states with associated probabilities
+- `undo`: to undo last move
+- `help`: to see the commands list
+- `exit`: to quit the game
+
+## Quantum Concepts
+### Superposition
+With a split move, the board state becomes a [quantum superposition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_superposition) 
+of two board states. For example, with `b9^a7c7`, the left white horse is splitted from position `b9` into `a7` and `c7`:
+
+<img width="292" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 11 09 31 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a5f3bb23-3232-48fe-933d-327a597fa609">
+
+And a `peek all` would show that the current board state is an equal superpostion of the following two states:
+
+<img width="313" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 11 10 11 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fb9e018d-4bec-4da4-8d68-3aa2c9048d2b">
+
+### Entanglement
+Continuing the above example, with another white move `b7e7` the left white cannon is (possibly) moved to position `e7`: 
+
+<img width="293" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 11 16 36 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bc946fc8-d366-4c0b-ae78-ece31fb416b4">
+
+But instead of being a superposition of four states (i.e. white horse and cannon each occupy one of two possible locations),
+there are actually only two possbile states, as shown by `peek all`:
+
+<img width="292" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 11 17 19 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/459a2be8-42e6-46b4-86d6-17adbcc6d5d3">
+
+, i.e. either the horse was in `a7` and the cannon successfully moved ot `e7`, or the horse is in `c7` and the cannon did not move at all. 
+This is an example of [quantum entanglement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement).
+
+### Measurement
+Given the following scenario, where there are splitted red rook, white horse and white cannon. 
+
+<img width="287" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 1 14 49 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d2b6851b-8566-4296-a55a-e78cf23ce6b7">
+
+And the white player would like to make the move `e7e3` to capture the red horse. In this case we will make a 
+[measurement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_in_quantum_mechanics) to check if there is exactly one `cannon platform` between the 
+cannon and the target. Depending on the measurement result, you should see one of the two scenarios (with equal probability):
+
+<img width="290" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 1 16 29 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/297e0134-bc00-47f1-881d-8bb484a7ff92">
+<img width="285" alt="Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 1 15 56 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/237f0bb1-792a-4a85-8518-cc5e59adc2f3">
+
+In the left case, the `platform` is not there, so the capture is not made <sup>[1]</sup>.
+In the right case, the `platform` is there, and the capture is made. But in both cases, note that other superposition pieces (red rook and
+white horse) are not affected, i.e. the whole board is still in a superposition state.
+
+[1] Note that in such cannon firing scenarios the player might want to have a `laser cannon`, i.e. to capture the red elephant instead, 
+with the red horse as platform. This has not been implemented. Feel free to submit such pull requests!