Re: [math-fun] capture the cat
I find I can win virtually every time on the website, except when I make a clearly unwise blunder. (Probably having played a lot of Hex doesn't hurt any.) The mathematical question on an infinite board seems to be * From which starting positions (darkened cells and position of the cat) can the cat be captured? * In particular: Can the cat be captured even if no cells are darkened? The game is similar in spirit to Conway's Angel & Devil game. --Dan _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele
The mathematical question on an infinite board seems to be
Can the cat be captured even if no cells are darkened?
yes. this was shown by an undergraduate student of mine 3 years ago in his senior research project. http://www2.stetson.edu/mathcs/people/students/research/pdf/2006/ aholer/final.pdf theorem 30 on pages 140-142. erich
participants (2)
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Dan Asimov -
Erich Friedman