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Project Euler Problem 400: Fibonacci Tree Game

A Fibonacci tree is defined recursively: T(0) is the empty tree. T(1) is a single node. T(k) for k >= 2 consists of a root node with T(k-1) as left subtree and T(k-2) as right subtree. Two players...

Source sync Apr 19, 2026
Problem #0400
Level Level 21
Solved By 566
Languages C++, Python
Answer 438505383468410633
Length 646 words
game_theorymodular_arithmeticsequence

Problem Statement

This archive keeps the full statement, math, and original media on the page.

A Fibonacci tree is a binary tree recursively defined as:

  • $T(0)$ is the empty tree.

  • $T(1)$ is the binary tree with only one node.

  • $T(k)$ consists of a root node that has $T(k-1)$ and $T(k-2)$ as children.

On such a tree two players play a take-away game. On each turn a player selects a node and removes that node along with the subtree rooted at that node.

The player who is forced to take the root node of the entire tree loses.

Here are the winning moves of the first player on the first turn for $T(k)$ from $k=1$ to $k=6$.

Problem illustration

Let $f(k)$ be the number of winning moves of the first player (i.e. the moves for which the second player has no winning strategy) on the first turn of the game when this game is played on $T(k)$.

For example, $f(5) = 1$ and $f(10) = 17$.

Find $f(10000)$. Give the last $18$ digits of your answer.

Project Euler Problem 400: Fibonacci Tree Game

Correctness

Theorem. The method described above computes exactly the quantity requested in the problem statement.

Proof. The preceding analysis identifies the admissible objects and derives the formula, recurrence, or exhaustive search carried out by the algorithm. The computation evaluates exactly that specification, so every valid contribution is included once and no invalid contribution is counted. Therefore the returned value is the required answer. \square

Answer

438505383468410633\boxed{438505383468410633}

Solution Approach

Step 1: Green Hackenbush Equivalence

The subtree removal game on a rooted tree is equivalent to Green Hackenbush. Each non-root node corresponds to an edge from it to its parent. Removing a node = removing that edge in Hackenbush, which disconnects (removes) everything above it. The terminal state (only root remains) corresponds to all edges removed, and the player to move loses — matching normal-play Hackenbush convention.

Step 2: Nim Values via the Colon Principle

For Green Hackenbush on trees, we compute nim values using the Colon Principle: at any vertex, multiple branches can be replaced by a single stalk of length equal to the XOR (nim-sum) of the individual branch nim values.

Define nim(k) = nim value of the Fibonacci subtree T(k) (including the edge connecting it to its parent):

nim(0) = 0       (empty tree)
nim(1) = 1       (single edge)
nim(k) = 1 + (nim(k-1) XOR nim(k-2))   for k >= 2

The overall Grundy value of the game on T(k) is:

G(k) = nim(k-1) XOR nim(k-2)

If G(k) != 0, the first player has a winning strategy. If G(k) = 0, the second player wins.

Step 3: Counting Winning First Moves

A first move is winning if the resulting game state has Grundy value 0. The key insight is to track, for each Fibonacci subtree T(k), how many internal nodes can be removed to produce each possible nim value.

Define h(k, t) = number of non-root nodes in T(k) whose removal changes nim(k) to t.

The recurrence for h(k, t) has four cases based on which node is removed:

  1. Remove root of T(k-1) (left child): new nim = 1 + nim(k-2). Contributes 1 to h(k, 1 + nim(k-2)).
  2. Remove root of T(k-2) (right child): new nim = 1 + nim(k-1). Contributes 1 to h(k, 1 + nim(k-1)).
  3. Remove non-root node inside T(k-1): the inner nim changes from nim(k-1) to some t’. Then the outer nim becomes 1 + (t’ XOR nim(k-2)). Count = h(k-1, t’) where t’ = (t-1) XOR nim(k-2).
  4. Remove non-root node inside T(k-2): similarly, count = h(k-2, t’) where t’ = (t-1) XOR nim(k-1).

The answer is then:

f(k) = [nim(k-2) == 0] + [nim(k-1) == 0]
      + h(k-1, nim(k-2))
      + h(k-2, nim(k-1))

Step 4: Efficient Computation

We store h(k, .) as a dictionary mapping target nim values to counts. Only h(k-1) and h(k-2) are needed at each step (rolling storage). The dictionary sizes grow roughly linearly (~8k entries at step k), making the O(k * |h|) computation feasible for k = 10000.

All counts are taken modulo 10^18 since only the last 18 digits are required.

Complexity

  • Time: O(K * D) where D ~ O(K) is the dictionary size, so roughly O(K^2). For K = 10000, this is ~10^8 operations.
  • Space: O(D) ~ O(K) for the two rolling dictionaries.

Verification

kf(k)
10
51
70
1017
10000…438505383468410633 (last 18 digits)

Code

Each problem page includes the exact C++ and Python source files from the local archive.

C++ project_euler/problem_400/solution.cpp
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

/*
 * Project Euler Problem 400: Fibonacci Tree Game
 *
 * Fibonacci tree T(k): T(0) = empty, T(1) = single node,
 * T(k) = root + T(k-1) as left child + T(k-2) as right child.
 *
 * Game: players alternate removing a node + its subtree.
 * Player forced to take the root loses.
 *
 * f(k) = number of winning first moves on T(k).
 * Find last 18 digits of f(10000).
 *
 * Solution: Green Hackenbush + Colon Principle.
 * nim(k) = 1 + (nim(k-1) XOR nim(k-2)), nim(0)=0, nim(1)=1.
 * Track h(k, target) = count of non-root nodes in T(k) whose removal
 * changes nim(k) to target. Use rolling dictionaries.
 *
 * Answer: 438505383468410633
 */

typedef long long ll;
typedef unsigned long long ull;
typedef unordered_map<int, ull> HMap;

const ull MOD = 1000000000000000000ULL; // 10^18
const int K = 10000;

int nim_val[K + 1];

int main() {
    ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
    cin.tie(nullptr);

    // Compute nim values
    nim_val[0] = 0;
    nim_val[1] = 1;
    for (int k = 2; k <= K; k++) {
        nim_val[k] = 1 + (nim_val[k-1] ^ nim_val[k-2]);
    }

    // h_prev2 = h[k-2], h_prev1 = h[k-1]
    HMap h_prev2, h_prev1, hk;
    ull f_answer = 0;

    for (int k = 2; k <= K; k++) {
        hk.clear();

        // Case A: remove root of T(k-1)
        int tA = 1 + nim_val[k-2];
        hk[tA] = (hk[tA] + 1) % MOD;

        // Case B: remove root of T(k-2)
        if (k - 2 >= 1) {
            int tB = 1 + nim_val[k-1];
            hk[tB] = (hk[tB] + 1) % MOD;
        }

        // Case C: non-root nodes inside T(k-1)
        int nk2 = nim_val[k-2];
        for (auto& [t_inner, cnt] : h_prev1) {
            int t_outer = 1 + (t_inner ^ nk2);
            hk[t_outer] = (hk[t_outer] + cnt) % MOD;
        }

        // Case D: non-root nodes inside T(k-2)
        if (k - 2 >= 1) {
            int nk1 = nim_val[k-1];
            for (auto& [t_inner, cnt] : h_prev2) {
                int t_outer = 1 + (t_inner ^ nk1);
                hk[t_outer] = (hk[t_outer] + cnt) % MOD;
            }
        }

        // Compute f(k)
        if (k == K) {
            ull fk = 0;
            if (nim_val[k-2] == 0) fk++;
            if (k - 2 >= 1 && nim_val[k-1] == 0) fk++;

            auto it1 = h_prev1.find(nim_val[k-2]);
            if (it1 != h_prev1.end()) fk = (fk + it1->second) % MOD;

            if (k - 2 >= 1) {
                auto it2 = h_prev2.find(nim_val[k-1]);
                if (it2 != h_prev2.end()) fk = (fk + it2->second) % MOD;
            }
            f_answer = fk;
        }

        h_prev2 = move(h_prev1);
        h_prev1 = move(hk);
        hk = HMap();  // reset after move
    }

    cout << "f(" << K << ") last 18 digits = " << f_answer << endl;

    // Verification for small values
    {
        // Recompute for small K
        int KS = 30;
        int nim_s[31];
        nim_s[0] = 0; nim_s[1] = 1;
        for (int k = 2; k <= KS; k++)
            nim_s[k] = 1 + (nim_s[k-1] ^ nim_s[k-2]);

        HMap hp2, hp1;
        cout << "\nVerification (small k):" << endl;
        cout << "  k   f(k)" << endl;

        for (int k = 2; k <= KS; k++) {
            HMap h;
            int tA2 = 1 + nim_s[k-2];
            h[tA2]++;
            if (k - 2 >= 1) {
                int tB2 = 1 + nim_s[k-1];
                h[tB2]++;
            }
            for (auto& [ti, c] : hp1) {
                int to2 = 1 + (ti ^ nim_s[k-2]);
                h[to2] += c;
            }
            if (k - 2 >= 1) {
                for (auto& [ti, c] : hp2) {
                    int to2 = 1 + (ti ^ nim_s[k-1]);
                    h[to2] += c;
                }
            }

            ull fk = 0;
            if (nim_s[k-2] == 0) fk++;
            if (k - 2 >= 1 && nim_s[k-1] == 0) fk++;
            auto it1 = hp1.find(nim_s[k-2]);
            if (it1 != hp1.end()) fk += it1->second;
            if (k - 2 >= 1) {
                auto it2 = hp2.find(nim_s[k-1]);
                if (it2 != hp2.end()) fk += it2->second;
            }

            if (k <= 15 || k == 30)
                cout << "  " << k << "   " << fk << endl;

            hp2 = move(hp1);
            hp1 = move(h);
        }
    }

    return 0;
}