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Sunday Afternoon Maths XXVI

 Posted on 2014-08-24 

Odd and even outputs

Let \(g:\mathbb{N}\times\mathbb{N}\rightarrow\mathbb{N}\) be a function.
This means that \(g\) takes two natural number inputs and gives one natural number output. For example if \(g\) is defined by \(g(n,m)=n+m\) then \(g(3,4)=7\) and \(g(10,2)=12\).
The function \(g(n,m)=n+m\) will give an even output if \(n\) and \(m\) are both odd or both even and an odd output if one is odd and the other is even. This could be summarised in the following table:
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddevenodd
eoddeven
Using only \(+\) and \(\times\), can you construct functions \(g(n,m)\) which give the following output tables:
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddodd
eoddodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddodd
eoddeven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddodd
eevenodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddodd
eeveneven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddeven
eoddodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddeven
eoddeven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddeven
eevenodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddoddeven
eeveneven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddevenodd
eoddodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddevenodd
eoddeven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddevenodd
eevenodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddevenodd
eeveneven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddeveneven
eoddodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddeveneven
eoddeven
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddeveneven
eevenodd
\(n\)
oddeven
\(m\)oddeveneven
eeveneven

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Tags: functions

Twenty-one

Scott and Virgil are playing a game. In the game the first player says 1, 2 or 3, then the next player can add 1, 2 or 3 to the number and so on. The player who is forced to say 21 or above loses. The first game went like so:
Scott: 3
Virgil: 4
Scott: 5
Virgil: 6
Scott: 9
Virgil: 12
Scott: 15
Virgil 17
Scott: 20
Virgil: 21
Virgil loses.
To give him a better chance of winning, Scott lets Virgil choose whether to go first or second in the next game. What should Virgil do?

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Tags: numbers, games
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