Problem

Source:

Tags: induction



One hundred pirates played cards. When the game was over, each pirate calculated the amount he won or lost. The pirates have a gold sand as a currency; each has enough to pay his debt. Gold could only change hands in the following way. Either one pirate pays an equal amount to every other pirate, or one pirate receives the same amount from every other pirate. Prove that after several such steps, it is possible for each winner to receive exactly what he has won and for each loser to pay exactly what he has lost. (4 points)