Definition · foundations
search tree
search tree is a branching map of choices and the states that may follow them. You can spot search tree in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does search tree matter?
A tree makes choices and consequences visible, but repeated states may appear on several branches. For search tree, start with three checks: What can the system observe? What choice can it make? What changes after it acts? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does search tree look like?
A game planner branches from each legal move into the positions that may follow. This example makes search tree visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is search tree easy to confuse with?
A search tree has separate branches from a root. A search graph can rejoin shared states and contain cycles. The closest entries here are search traversal, secret exfiltration, Monte Carlo tree search. Compare their definitions with search tree before using the names as if they mean the same thing.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is marked source checked because ACL Anthology supports its main points. The date shows when we last read that source. If you are making a purchase, policy, safety, or design decision, open the source first and make sure its limits fit the decision in front of you.
Who introduced the term search tree?
The source shows how search tree is used, but it does not prove who said it first. We name an origin only when a dated, direct record supports it. If that record is missing, we leave the question open instead of repeating a popular story as fact.
What should you understand before search tree?
Read artificial intelligence (AI) first when search tree depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use search tree to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- What can the system observe?
- What choice can it make?
- What changes after it acts?
Which source supports this definition of search tree?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of search tree. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to search tree; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
direct supportsearch treeChecked 2026-07-12→