olymmath

Putnam 2020 B2

  • Session B

Let kk and nn be integers with 1≤k<n1 \leq k < n. Alice and Bob play a game with kk pegs in a line of nn holes. At the beginning of the game, the pegs occupy the kk leftmost holes. A legal move consists of moving a single peg to any vacant hole that is further to the right. The players alternate moves, with Alice playing first. The game ends when the pegs are in the kk rightmost holes, so whoever is next to play cannot move and therefore loses. For what values of nn and kk does Alice have a winning strategy?

Curated text Kedlaya Putnam archive. Quoted with source.

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