Question 12
Initially, the numbers $1, 2, \ldots, 2024$ are written on a blackboard. Trixi and Nana play a game, taking alternate turns. Trixi plays first.
The player whose turn it is chooses two numbers $a$ and $b$, erases both, and writes their (possibly negative) difference $a - b$ on the blackboard. This is repeated until only one number remains on the blackboard after $2023$ moves. Trixi wins if this number is divisible by $3$, otherwise Nana wins.
Which of the two has a winning strategy?
(Birgit Vera Schmidt)
The player whose turn it is chooses two numbers $a$ and $b$, erases both, and writes their (possibly negative) difference $a - b$ on the blackboard. This is repeated until only one number remains on the blackboard after $2023$ moves. Trixi wins if this number is divisible by $3$, otherwise Nana wins.
Which of the two has a winning strategy?
(Birgit Vera Schmidt)