Difference between revisions of "2025 IMO Problems/Problem 5"

(Created page with "Alice and Bazza are playing the inekoalaty game, a two‑player game whose rules depend on a positive real number <math>\lambda</math> which is known to both players. On the <...")
 
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Alice and Bazza are playing the inekoalaty game, a two‑player game whose rules depend on a positive real number <math>\lambda</math> which is known to both players. On the <math>n</math>th turn of the game (starting with <math>n=1</math>) the following happens:
 
Alice and Bazza are playing the inekoalaty game, a two‑player game whose rules depend on a positive real number <math>\lambda</math> which is known to both players. On the <math>n</math>th turn of the game (starting with <math>n=1</math>) the following happens:
 +
 
If <math>n</math> is odd, Alice chooses a nonnegative real number <math>x_n</math> such that
 
If <math>n</math> is odd, Alice chooses a nonnegative real number <math>x_n</math> such that
\[
+
 
     x_1 + x_2 + \cdots + x_n \le \lambda n.
+
     <cmath>x_1 + x_2 + \cdots + x_n \le \lambda n</cmath>
  \]
+
 
 
If <math>n</math> is even, Bazza chooses a nonnegative real number <math>x_n</math> such that
 
If <math>n</math> is even, Bazza chooses a nonnegative real number <math>x_n</math> such that
\[
+
 
     x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 \le n.
+
     <cmath>x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 \le n</cmath>
   \]
+
    
 
If a player cannot choose a suitable <math>x_n</math>, the game ends and the other player wins. If the game goes on forever, neither player wins. All chosen numbers are known to both players.
 
If a player cannot choose a suitable <math>x_n</math>, the game ends and the other player wins. If the game goes on forever, neither player wins. All chosen numbers are known to both players.
  

Revision as of 06:57, 16 July 2025

Alice and Bazza are playing the inekoalaty game, a two‑player game whose rules depend on a positive real number $\lambda$ which is known to both players. On the $n$th turn of the game (starting with $n=1$) the following happens:

If $n$ is odd, Alice chooses a nonnegative real number $x_n$ such that

   \[x_1 + x_2 + \cdots + x_n \le \lambda n\]

If $n$ is even, Bazza chooses a nonnegative real number $x_n$ such that

   \[x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 \le n\]
 

If a player cannot choose a suitable $x_n$, the game ends and the other player wins. If the game goes on forever, neither player wins. All chosen numbers are known to both players.

Determine all values of $\lambda$ for which Alice has a winning strategy and all those for which Bazza has a winning strategy.

Video solution

https://youtu.be/laYxMrfbsPE