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From: ags@pucc-h (Dave Seaman)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: pennies puzzle (SPOILER spoiled)
Message-ID: <2642@pucc-h>
Date: Tue, 18-Feb-86 23:20:13 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-h.2642
Posted: Tue Feb 18 23:20:13 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Feb-86 07:33:39 EST
References: <953@houxa.UUCP> <904@whuxlm.UUCP>
Reply-To: ags@pucc-h.UUCP (Dave Seaman)
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 20

In article <904@whuxlm.UUCP> dim@whuxlm.UUCP (McCooey David I) writes:
>> Imagine a two-player game, in which each of the players begins
>> with an infinite number of pennies.  There exists a round table,
>> and each player in his turn places a penny on the table.  (Turns
>> are alternated).  The game ends when there is no more room on the
>> table for any pennies.  The person who last put a penny on the table
>> is declared the winner.
>> 
>The second player can always win if he uses the following strategy:
>
>	Considering the center of the table as the "origin", always
>	place his penny at a spot reflected through the origin from
>	where his opponent just placed his last penny.
>

Actually this is a description of the first player's winning strategy,
beginning at the second move.  His first move, of course, is to place a penny 
at the exact center.
-- 
Dave Seaman	  					pur-ee!pucc-h!ags