The game of 1036

Question

Mahmoud and Zomhan play a game where they alternatively write numbers on a board. In each turn, a player takes the old number $N$ written on the board and replaces it either by the number $T$ of divisors of $n$ or by the difference $N-T$. For example if $N=22$ is written on the blackboard then $T=4$ with the divisors 1, 2, 11, 22 of $N=22$, and the next player may write $T=4$ or $N-T=18$ on the blackboard.

Mahmoud is the first player to play, and whichever player is the first player to write the number $0$ is the winner of the game. Given that the initial number on the board is $1036$, determine which player has a winning strategy.

Answer 1

A player has a winning strategy if and only if

• They can write $0$, or
• They can write a number where their opponent does not have a winning strategy.

If $N$ is $1$ or $2$, the player can write $0$, so they win.
If $N$ is $3$, the player must write $1$ or $2$, and then the opponent wins.
If $N$ is $4$ or $9$ (3 divisors for each), the player can write $3$ and win.
If $N$ is $6$ (4 divisors), the player must write $2$ or $4$, but the opponent wins from both.
If $N$ is $11$ (2 divisors), the player must write $2$ or $9$, but the opponent wins from both.
If $N$ is $12$ (6 divisors), the player writes $6$ and wins.
If $N$ is $1024$ (11 divisors), the player can write $11$ and win.

If $N$ is $1036$ (12 divisors),

the only options are to write $12$ or $1024$. Both of these let the opponent win. So Mahmoud does not have a winning strategy, and Zomhan does.