The i-Mark conjecture on positions with Sprague–Grundy value two

Consider the impartial game i-Mark({s},{d})\operatorname{i\text{-}Mark}(\{s\},\{d\}) in normal play, with relatively prime positive integers ss and dd. Let SG(n)\operatorname{SG}(n) denote the Sprague–Grundy value of the position nn, and define the sequences

a0=2ds,ai+1=d(ai+s),a_0=2ds,\qquad a_{i+1}=d(a_i+s), b0j=jd,bi+1j=d(bij+s)(1js1).b^j_0=jd,\qquad b^j_{i+1}=d(b^j_i+s)\quad (1\leq j\leq s-1).

i-Mark conjecture. A necessary condition for SG(n)=2\operatorname{SG}(n)=2 is that one of the following holds: n=sdn=sd, nn is a term of (an)(a_n), or nn is a term of one of the sequences (bnj)(b^j_n) for 1js11\leq j\leq s-1. The remaining Sprague–Grundy values iterate in ss-tuples of zeros and ones.

The conjecture is supported by the authors' experiments and describes the expected structure of the Sprague–Grundy sequence for general relatively prime subtraction and division parameters. No proof or resolution is supplied in the stated context.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Oren Friman and Gabriel Nivasch, “Some i-Mark games”, arXiv:2007.00721 (2021).

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