1. Combinatorial Analysis of a Subtraction Game on Graphs
- Author
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Adams, Richard, Dixon, Janae, Elder, Jennifer, Peabody, Jamie, Vega, Oscar, and Willis, Karen
- Subjects
Mathematics - Combinatorics ,05C57, 91A43, 91A46 (Primary), 68R10 (Secondary) - Abstract
We define a two-player combinatorial game in which players take alternate turns; each turn consists on deleting a vertex of a graph, together with all the edges containing such vertex. If any vertex became isolated by a player's move then it would also be deleted. A player wins the game when the other player has no moves available. We study this game under various viewpoints: by finding specific strategies for certain families of graphs, through using properties of a graph's automorphism group, by writing a program to look at Sprague-Grundy numbers, and by studying the game when played on random graphs. When analyzing Grim played on paths, using the Sprague-Grundy function, we find a connection to a standing open question about Octal games., Comment: 13 pages, 0 figures
- Published
- 2015