Game with number theory
Source: Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad 2018 - Q3
November 16, 2018
number theoryCombinatorial gamesabstract algebraBrazilian Math OlympiadBrazilian Math Olympiad 2018
Problem Statement
Let , be fixed positive integers. In a circular table, there are placed pins numbered successively with the numbers , with and neighbors. It is known that pin is golden and the others are white. Arnaldo and Bernaldo play a game, in which a ring is placed initially on one of the pins and at each step it changes position. The game begins with Bernaldo choosing a starting pin for the ring, and the first step consists of the following: Arnaldo chooses a positive integer any and Bernaldo moves the ring pins clockwise or counterclockwise (positions are considered modulo , i.e., pins , equal if and only if divides ). After that, the ring changes its position according to one of the following rules, to be chosen at every step by Arnaldo:Rule 1: Arnaldo chooses a positive integer and Bernaldo moves the ring pins clockwise or counterclockwise.Rule 2: Arnaldo chooses a direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), and Bernaldo moves the ring in the chosen direction in or pins, where is the size of the last displacement performed.Arnaldo wins if, after a finite number of steps, the ring is moved to the golden pin. Determine, as a function of , the values of for which Arnaldo has a strategy that guarantees his victory, no matter how Bernaldo plays.