Zobrist is a surname of likely German or Swiss origin. The term most prominently refers to two distinct subjects: a computer science technique known as Zobrist hashing, and a former Major League Baseball player named Ben Zobrist.
Zobrist Hashing (Computer Science)
Zobrist hashing is a hash function construction used in computer programs that play abstract board games, such as chess and Go. It was invented by Albert Lindsey Zobrist and first described in his 1969 technical report, "A New Hashing Method with Application for Game Playing," at the University of Wisconsin. The technique is used to implement transposition tables — a type of hash table indexed by a board position — to avoid analyzing the same position more than once.
The method works by randomly generating bitstrings for each possible element of a board game (e.g., for each combination of a piece type, its color, and its position). The hash value for any board configuration is computed by combining the relevant bitstrings using a bitwise XOR operation. A key advantage of Zobrist hashing is that the hash value can be updated incrementally as pieces move, rather than being recomputed from scratch each turn, making it highly efficient for traversing a game tree. Zobrist hashing is the first known instance of tabulation hashing. It has also been applied to recognizing substitutional alloy configurations in simulations of crystalline materials.
Ben Zobrist (Baseball)
Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (born May 26, 1981, in Eureka, Illinois) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2006–2014), Oakland Athletics (2015), Kansas City Royals (2015), and Chicago Cubs (2016–2019). A versatile switch-hitter with a high walk rate, Zobrist was known as a "super utility player," having played significant time at second base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions. He was a three-time MLB All-Star (2009, 2013, 2016), a two-time World Series champion (2015 with the Royals, 2016 with the Cubs), and was named World Series Most Valuable Player in 2016.
Other Uses
- Zobrist Construction — A construction company based in the United States.
- Zobrist Software Group, Inc. — An e-commerce development firm.
- Zobrist Design Group — A design-build-remodel firm.
As a surname, "Zobrist" is not among the most common family names globally, and these various entities named Zobrist are independent of one another aside from sharing the name.
