Scribd
Upload
54 views

Power Test 2006 Rice Math Tournament February 25, 2006

This document summarizes the rules of the Hackenbush game and provides 10 problems analyzing game values and strategies. The game is played between Blue and Red by deleting line segments from a picture. The player who deletes the last segment loses. Games are assigned numeric values based on who has a winning strategy. Later problems construct games with given values and prove properties of rational game values. Introducing "thick" edges that both players can remove results in games with undefined values.

Uploaded by

RongLiu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
54 views

Power Test 2006 Rice Math Tournament February 25, 2006

This document summarizes the rules of the Hackenbush game and provides 10 problems analyzing game values and strategies. The game is played between Blue and Red by deleting line segments from a picture. The player who deletes the last segment loses. Games are assigned numeric values based on who has a winning strategy. Later problems construct games with given values and prove properties of rational game values. Introducing "thick" edges that both players can remove results in games with undefined values.

Uploaded by

RongLiu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Power Test

2006 Rice Math Tournament


February 25, 2006
idea from Winning Ways for Your Mathematical Plays by Berlekamp, Conway, and Guy

Hackenbush is a game for two players, Blue and Red. It is played with a picture such as the ones in the
first two problems, consisting of straight and wavy edges connected to each other and to the ground. Blue
moves by deleting any straight line segment, together with any segments that are no longer connected to the
ground. Red moves by similarly deleting a wavy segment. If a player has no edges left to delete, that player
loses. Both players always make the best possible moves.
We have used straight and wavy edges on this test, but we request that in your solutions you use red pen
(we have provided some) for Red’s edges, and blue/black pen or pencil for Blue’s edges.

1. Who wins in each of the following games?

HaL HbL HcL HdL

2. Find a winning strategy for one of the players in the following game. For what other games will your
strategy ensure a win for one of the players?

Let the value of a game be a number associated with the game so that the following properties hold:
• These games have value 1 and −1, respectively.

• The value of a game in which the first player to move always loses (with both players playing optimally)
is zero. This is called a zero game.
• For two games G and H with values g and h placed side-by-side, the value of the whole game, G + H,
is g + h.
Notes: You may assume that these properties are consistent. We say a game has value v or is worth v moves.

1
3. Find the value of each of the games shown in problems 1 and 2. We miscounted numbers of edges in the
games in problem 1 in our original solutions, and also had problems with the sizes of dots separating
segments. Both issues have been resolved here.
4. Prove that that if the value v of a game G is a rational number, Blue wins if v > 0 and Red wins if
v < 0.
5. Prove that the best move for Blue is the one that results in a game with the greatest value, and
similarly the best move for Red is the one that leaves the least value.
6. Determine with proof the value of the following three games.

HaL HbL HcL

Notice that in the first game in problem 6, Blue’s best move is to a game worth 0 moves, while Red’s
best move is to a game worth 1 move. We denote this {0|1} = v, where v is the value of this game.

7. Construct with proof games with values n + 21m , where n, m are integers, m ≥ 0. Your solution should
be a single vertical line like the examples in problem 6; that is, only one edge should connect to the
ground and only two edges should meet at any point.
2p+1
8. Prove that 2n+1 = { 2pn | p+1
2n }, where p, n are integers with n ≥ 0.

9. Construct with proof games of values 18 , 28 , · · · , 78 . Your solutions should be single vertical lines as in
problem 7.
10. Show that if thick edges, which both Blue and Red may remove, are introduced, then there are games
whose value is undefined.

You might also like