MathDB
Pionocchio and Geppetto play a liar's game with polynomial values

Source: Francophone 2024, Senior P1

April 4, 2024
algebrapolynomialalgebra proposedgame

Problem Statement

Let dd and mm be two fixed positive integers. Pinocchio and Geppetto know the values of dd and mm and play the following game: In the beginning, Pinocchio chooses a polynomial PP of degree at most dd with integer coefficients. Then Geppetto asks him questions of the following form "What is the value of P(n)P(n)?'' for n∈Zn \in \mathbb{Z}. Pinocchio usually says the truth, but he can lie up to mm times. What is, as a function of dd and mm, the minimal number of questions that Geppetto needs to ask to be sure to determine PP, no matter how Pinocchio chooses to reply?