Problem

Source: ISR 2021 February TST p.1

Tags: Combinatorial games, combinatorics



Ayala and Barvaz play a game: Ayala initially gives Barvaz two $100\times100$ tables of positive integers, such that the product of numbers in each table is the same. In one move, Barvaz may choose a row or column in one of the tables, and change the numbers in it (to some positive integers), as long as the total product remains the same. Barvaz wins if after $N$ such moves, he manages to make the two tables equal to each other, and otherwise Ayala wins. a. For which values of $N$ does Barvaz have a winning strategy? b. For which values of $N$ does Barvaz have a winning strategy, if all numbers in Ayalah’s tables must be powers of $2$?