Invariant and dual subtraction games resolving the Duch\^e-Rigo conjecture
Abstract
We prove a recent conjecture of Duch\^ene and Rigo, stating that every complementary pair of homogeneous Beatty sequences represents the solution to an \emph{invariant} impartial game. Here invariance means that each available move in a game can be played anywhere inside the game-board. In fact, we establish such a result for a wider class of pairs of complementary sequences, and in the process generalize the notion of a \emph{subtraction game}. Given a pair of complementary sequences and of positive integers, we define a game by setting as invariant moves. We then introduce the invariant game , whose moves are all non-zero -positions of . Provided the set of non-zero -positions of equals , this \emph{is} the desired invariant game. We give sufficient conditions on the initial pair of sequences for this 'duality' to hold.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1005.4162,
title = {Invariant and dual subtraction games resolving the Duch\^e-Rigo conjecture},
author = {Urban Larsson and Peter Hegarty and Aviezri S. Fraenkel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1005.4162},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
11 pages, 2 figures