Q17. Alok and Bhanu play the following coins in a circle game. 99 coins are arranged in a circle with each coin touching two other coin. Two of the coins are special and the rest are ordinary. Alok starts and the players take turns removing an ordinary coin of their choice from the circle and bringing the other coins closer until they again form a (smaller) circle. The goal is to bring the special coins adjacent to each other and the first player to do so wins the game. Initially the special coins are separated by two ordinary coins O1 and O2. Which of the following is true?
a) In order to win, Alok should remove O1 on his first turn.
b) In order to win, Alok should remove one of the coins different from O1 and O2 on his first turn.
c) In order to win, Alok should remove O2 on his first turn.
d) Alok has no winning strategy.
Q17. Alok and Bhanu play the following coins in a circle game. 99 coins are arranged in a circle with each coin touching two other coin. Two of the coins are special and the rest are ordinary. Alok starts and the players take turns removing an ordinary coin of their choice from the circle and bringing the other coins closer until they again form a (smaller) circle. The goal is to bring the special coins adjacent to each other and the first player to do so wins the game. Initially the special coins are separated by two ordinary coins O1 and O2. Which of the following is true?
a) In order to win, Alok should remove O1 on his first turn.
b) In order to win, Alok should remove one of the coins different from O1 and O2 on his first turn.
c) In order to win, Alok should remove O2 on his first turn.
d) Alok has no winning strategy.
