arXiv subjects

Stephen C. Locke

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen C. Locke.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Floridian Solitaire: A New Variant of Bulgarian Solitaire

Bulgarian solitaire is a well-studied, no-choice, no-loss, one-player game involving stacks of cards. More formally, it is a self-map on the set of partitions of a fixed integer $n.$ As a finite dynamical system, its long-term behavior is well understood. Every trajectory ends in a cycle. The partitions that are in a cycle are parameterized by binary vectors, and the cycles by binary necklaces. Call a partition separated if distinct part sizes differ by at least two. The vast majority of partitions belonging to a cycle are not separated. Motivated by this fact, we consider a variant where the player has choices, but is restricted to separated partitions and, if unable to make a legal move, may lose. We prove that for $n>73$, there are cycles, and hence winning initial positions. We analyze the game for small values of $n$ and describe computations which, together with our main result, show that there are cycles for $n \in \{2,6,8,11,14,16,18,21\}$ and for $n \ge 23$, but for no other $n.$

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Two-pile and three-pile games of a new variant of Nim known as Halve Nim

We investigate a variant of Nim called Halve Nim, which in addition to the standard moves of Nim, we allow replacing each pile of coins with half its amount. We determine the P-positions of all two-pile games of Halve Nim. Also, we determine the P-positions of all three-pile games of Halve Nim in which one pile has at most ten coins.

math.CO↗

arXiv2022

Equatorially balanced C4-face-magic labelings on Klein bottle grid graphs

For a graph $G = (V, E)$ embedded in the Klein bottle, let $\mathcal{F}(G)$ denote the set of faces of $G$. Then, $G$ is called a $C_k$-face-magic Klein bottle graph if there exists a bijection $f: V(G) \to \{1, 2, \dots, |V(G)|\}$ such that for any $F \in \mathcal{F}(G)$ with $F \cong C_k$, the sum of all the vertex labelings along $C_k$ is a constant $S$. Let $x_v =f(v)$ for all $v\in V(G)$. We call $\{x_v : v\in V(G)\}$ a $C_k$-face-magic Klein bottle labeling on $G$. We consider the $m \times n$ grid graph, denoted by $\mathcal{K}_{m,n}$, embedded in the Klein bottle in the natural way. We show that for $m,n\ge 2$, $\mathcal{K}_{m,n}$ admits a $C_4$-face-magic Klein bottle labeling if and only if $n$ is even. We say that a $C_4$-face-magic Klein bottle labeling $\{x_{i,j}: (i,j) \in V(\mathcal{K}_{m,n}) \}$ on $\mathcal{K}_{m,n}$ is equatorially balanced if $x_{i,j} + x_{i,n+1-j} = \tfrac{1}{2} S$ for all $(i,j) \in V(\mathcal{K}_{m,n})$. We show that when $m$ is odd, a $C_4$-face-magic Klein bottle labeling on $\mathcal{K}_{m,n}$ must be equatorially balanced. Also when $m$ is odd, we show that (up to symmetries on the Klein bottle) the number of $C_4$-face-magic Klein bottle labelings on the $m \times 4$ Klein bottle grid graph is $2^m \, (m-1)! \, τ(m)$, where $τ(m)$ is the number of positive divisors of $m$. Furthermore, let $m\ge 3$ be an odd integer and $n \ge 6$ be an even integer. Then, the minimum number of distinct $C_4$-face-magic Klein bottle labelings $X$ on $\mathcal{K}_{m,n}$ (up to symmetries on a Klein bottle) is either $(5\cdot 2^m)(m-1)!$ if $n \equiv 0\pmod{4}$, or $(6\cdot 2^m)(m-1)!$ if $n \equiv 2\pmod{4}$.

math.CO↗

arXiv1997

On non-Hamiltonian circulant digraphs of outdegree three

We construct infinitely many connected, circulant digraphs of outdegree three that have no hamiltonian circuit. All of our examples have an even number of vertices, and our examples are of two types: either every vertex in the digraph is adjacent to two diametrically opposite vertices, or every vertex is adjacent to the vertex diametrically opposite to itself.

math.CO↗