Hi, This document contains questions on selecting coins. I have included various types of questions.

However, I am going with maximum of two players, as it is the usual pattern in MBA exams. A common assumption: Both players play in best possible manner trying to win the game.

Question 1: (Easy to start with) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 21 coins. The last one who picks a coin wins. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Answer: A should start with 1 coin Solution: Minimum coins = 1 Maximum coins = 4 Add them. We get 5. It means, if player picks x number of coins, other one can pick 5-x number coins to make total as 5. So, if we go on negating 5, we will be left with 21%5 = 1 coin. So, the one who picks this coin wins the game. So, at first move, A has to make sure that he picks such a number of coins so than remaining coins are multiple of 5. So, he picks 1 coin. Now, with 20 coins left and B to play; even if B picks any number of coins, A can pick 5-x coins where x is number of coins picked by B. Say, B picks 2; A will pick 3. So, A will go on making groups of 5. So, A will surely get last coin(s) to pick.

Question 2: (Slight modification of question 1) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 137 coins. The last one who picks a coin wins. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win?

Answer: A will pick 2 coins to ensure his win. Now, even if there are thousands of coins, we can find the answer.

Question 3: (A different version of question 1 and 2) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 180 coins. The last one who picks a coin wins. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Answer: A cannot win in any case. Here, A is facing number of coins which are multiple of 5. So, he is in a similar situation of B in previous two problems. So, here B can negate A and win the game.

Question 4: (Similar to 1 and 2) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 6, both included. There are totally 41 coins. The last one who picks a coin wins. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution: Here minimum is 1 and maximum is 6. So, we need to look for remainder by 7. So, A should start with 6 coins in order to ensure his win.

Question 5: (Opposite situation) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 121 coins. The last one who picks a coin loses. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution: A cannot win here. A may pick any number of coins, say x; B will pick 5-x coins. So, in the end A will be faced with one coin which he has to pick.

Question 6: (One more opposite situation)

A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 122 coins. The last one who picks a coin loses. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution: Now, 122%5 = 2. So, A should pick 2-1 i.e. 1 coin. And then whatever B picks, go on negating him with 5. In the end, it will be like 1 + (multiple of 5) + 1. So, B has to pick last remaining coin.

Question 7: (Based on question 6) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 124 coins. The last one who picks a coin loses. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution: Now, 124%5 = 4. So, A should pick 2-1 i.e. 3 coins. And then onwards, go on negating B.

Question 8: (Based on question 6) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally 125 coins. The last one who picks a coin loses. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution: Now, A should start with 4 coins and then go on negating B. So, in the end it will be 4 + (multiple of 5) + 1. The last coin will be picked by B.

Question 9: (A major change over previous questions) A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 2 and 7, both included. There are totally 41 coins. The last one who picks a coin wins. How many coins should A pick in the beginning to ensure his win? Solution:

Here minimum + maximum is 9. And 41%9 = 5. So, A should start with 5 coins and then go on negating B. Note: Approach remains same. So, not explaining for other situations.

Question 10: (Different type, taken from PG) A and B play a game where there are 50 coins on the table. The rule is that, the first player picks up some coins, but not all, from the table. The player taking next turn cannot pick up more in their turn than the previous player took. Two players take turns in this manner to pick up coins, until the last coin is picked up, and the player to do so is declared the winner. Supposing both A and B play intelligently and it is As turn first, what strategy should A adopt, to ensure his win. Solution: Here, we can start thinking with lowest possible number coins as that controls how many coins other one can pick. SO, if A picks 1 coins, he is going to lose as B will also pick 1 coins. So, it will be (1+1), (1+1), . As we have even number of coins, A is bound to lose. Now, if A picks two coins: B has two options. 1 or 2. As 48 coins are left, if B picks 1 coin, A will go on picking 1 coin and it will be (1+1), (1+1).. starting with B. SO, A will win. SO, B cannot go for 1. Now, if B foes for 2 coins. A will keep going for 2 coins. As we have 48 coins, it will be (2+2), (2+2).. And 48 is divisible by 4. SO, A will win. So, If A starts with 2 coins, he will win for sure as even if B goes for 1 coin or 2 coins, he will lose. Note: For such questions, it is better to start with lowest possible value. And of course, we should look at options first for such questions.

Question 11: (Question 10 with different number of coins) A and B play a game where there are 49 coins on the table. The rule is that, the first player picks up some coins, but not all, from the table. The player taking next turn cannot pick up more in their turn than the previous player took. Two players take turns in this manner to pick up coins, until the last coin is picked up, and the

player to do so is declared the winner. Supposing both A and B play intelligently and it is As turn first, what strategy should A adopt, to ensure his win. Solution: Easy one. A start with 1 coin. As we have odd number of coins, surely A will get to pick last coin as each player now can pick only 1 coin.

Question 12: (Question 10 with different number of coins) A and B play a game where there are 64 coins on the table. The rule is that, the first player picks up some coins, but not all, from the table. The player taking next turn cannot pick up more in their turn than the previous player took. Two players take turns in this manner to pick up coins, until the last coin is picked up, and the player to do so is declared the winner. Supposing both A and B play intelligently and it is As turn first, what strategy should A adopt, to ensure his win. Solution: A cannot win if number of coins are power of 2. A may pick any number of coins, B will win. If A picks odd number of coins, B will pick 1 coin. So, we are left with even number of coins and both can pick maximum 1 coin now. So, it will be (1+1), (1+1).. with B picking last coin. If A starts with even number of coins, which are multiples of 4; B will pick 4 coins. So, now we will be left with 4x coins and as we have seen with initial question with 50 coins, the one who is faced with a multiple of 4 loses. And if A picks even number of coins which are not multiple of 4, B will pick 2 coins. Again A will be faced with number of coins which are multiple of 4. So, B will win.

I have covered most of the basic questions. Now, these questions can be manipulated like last one wins or last one loses, but approach remains same most of the times. Now, let us have slightly tricky questions. They will look simpler if we are clear with approach. Question 1: A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally x coins where can be any natural number between 101 and

200. The last one who picks a coin wins. If A starts the game, what is the probability A wins the game. Solution: Now, we know that A will win unless there are 5k coins where k is a constant. So, probability of A winning = 4/5. Question 2: A and B are playing a game in which they have to select n number of coins. n can be between 1 and 4, both included. There are totally x coins where can be any natural number between 23 and 289. The last one who picks a coin wins. If A starts the game, what is the probability A wins the game. Solution: Now, total number = 289-22 = 267 Numbers which are divisible by 5 = 57-4 = 53 So, probability of A winning = (267-53)/267 = 214/267

I will stop here. In case, you come across some different type, you can always post on PG.