marimonda – reading01 ( 10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal Problem )

Kate Compton coined the “10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal Problem” as a way to describe a common issue in generative artwork, differentiation between the different artifacts generated.

It is an interesting problem because it proposes to us the fact that while two objects may be mathematically different, these differences may not be perceivable at all for the user/player.  In general, there will be cases in which different levels of perceptual differentiation are needed when automatically generating objects.

For instance, assume you are trying to make a new race of monster from a set of attributes (some will have a tail, some wont, some will have legs and some might have wings), if you have a large number of varied parts to construct a monster, it is really likely that each monster you get might be completely different, with every single iteration creating a new race of monster.

But this could come with its own set of disadvantages, assuming you want an entire colony of monsters of the same kind, maybe this specific type of monster only has variations in eye color and tooth shape resulting in hundreds of monsters that could look similar but retain individual characteristics at a closer glace. I think in general, intention and context will determine the mutability of the object you are trying to generate and this is something that is at the core of what Kate Compton was trying to describe, you need to know what are the good attributes and the bad attributes (and the memorable attributes!) of what you are trying to accomplish when generating an object.

Using meaningful symbols and identifiable perceptual differences is a great way to avoid the “10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal Problem“, add various degrees of clear mutability when needed (but also know when not to go overboard!).