MathDB

Baklavas with nuts are laid out on the table in a row at the Nowruz celebration. Kosa and Kechel saw this and decided to play a game. Kosa eats one baklava from either the beginning or the end of the row in each move. Kechel either doesn't touch anything in each move or chooses the baklava he wants and just eats the nut on it. They agree that the first Kosa will start the game and make

20

moves in each step, and the Kechel will only make

1

move in each step. If the last baklava eaten by the Kosa is a nut, he wins the game. It is given that the number of baklavas is a multiple of

20.

A)

If the number of baklavas is

400,

prove that Kosa will win the game regardless of which strategy Kechel chooses.

B)

Is it always true that no matter how many baklavas there are and what strategy Kechel chooses, Kosa will always win the game?

Problem Statement