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From: ins_anmy@jhunix.UUCP (Norman M Yarvin)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: pennies puzzle (SPOILER)
Message-ID: <1950@jhunix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Feb-86 11:19:00 EST
Article-I.D.: jhunix.1950
Posted: Thu Feb 20 11:19:00 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Feb-86 18:57:48 EST
References: <953@houxa.UUCP> <904@whuxlm.UUCP>
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Computing Ctr.
Lines: 34

> > 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.
> > 
> > Question:  Given that one of these players has a winning strategy,
> >    	which player (the first, or the second) can always win?  
> > 	Prove your answer by giving the strategy.
> > 
> 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.
> 
> Using this strategy, the second player will always have a spot to place his
> penny because he is simply mirroring the actions of the first player.
> 
> 					Dave McCooey

	NO!  The first player has the winning strategy!  He uses the strategy
detailed above, except that he places his first penny exactly in the center
of the table.

-- 
		Norman Yarvin
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