English

Rational Heap Games

Combinatorics 2012-02-09 v2

Abstract

We study variations of classical combinatorial games on two finite heaps of tokens, a.k.a. \emph{subtraction games}. Given non-negative integers p1,q1,p2,q2p_1,q_1, p_2,q_2, where p1q2>q1p2p_1q_2 > q_1p_2, p1>0p_1>0 and q2>0q_2>0, two players alternate in removing (m1,m2)(0,0)(m_1,m_2)\ne (0,0) tokens from the respective heaps, where the allowed ordered pairs of non-negative integers are given by a certain move set (m1,m2)\M(m_1,m_2)\in\M. There is a restriction imposed on the allowed heap sizes (X,Y)(X, Y), they must satisfy Xq1Yp1Xq_1\le Yp_1 and Yp2Xq2Yp_2\le Xq_2. A player who cannot move loses and the other player wins. For a certain restriction of these games, namely where each allowed move option (m1,m2)(m_1,m_2) is of the form (sp1+tp2,sq1+tq2)(sp_1+tp_2,sq_1+tq_2), for some ordered pair of non-negative integers (s,t)(0,0)(s,t)\ne (0,0), we show that all games have equivalent outcomes via a certain surjective map to a canonical subtraction game. Other interests in our games are various interactions with classical combinatorial games such as \emph{Nim} and \emph{Wythoff Nim}.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1201.3350,
  title  = {Rational Heap Games},
  author = {Urban Larsson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1201.3350},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

16 pages, 7 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-21T20:05:18.518Z