The odd-cycle terminating-game nimber conjecture

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Let CnC_n be the cycle graph on vertices v1,…,vnv_1,\ldots,v_n, where n≥4n\geq 4 and each viv_i is adjacent to vi+1v_{i+1} with indices taken modulo nn. Let TER⁡(Cn)\operatorname{TER}(C_n) denote the terminating geodetic removing game on CnC_n, and let nim⁡(TER⁡(Cn))\operatorname{nim}(\operatorname{TER}(C_n)) be its nimber. Odd-cycle terminating-game conjecture. For cycle graphs with odd nn,

nim⁡(TER⁡(Cn))=0.\operatorname{nim}(\operatorname{TER}(C_n))=0.

The conjecture concerns the case not covered by the preceding strategy for even cycles; it has been verified computationally up to n=21n=21, while the general odd-cycle case remains open.

References

Primary source

Bret J. Benesh, Dana C. Ernst, Marie Meyer, Sarah K. Salmon and Nandor Sieben, “Impartial geodetic removing games on graphs”, arXiv:2606.05483 (2026).

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