{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4416683196","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","title":"A tractability gap beyond nim-sums: It\u2019s hard to tell whether a bunch of superstars are losers","display_name":"A tractability gap beyond nim-sums: It\u2019s hard to tell whether a bunch of superstars are losers","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-11-26","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4416683196","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S90727058","display_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","issn_l":"0304-3975","issn":["0304-3975","1879-2294"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036070557","display_name":"Kyle Burke","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9222-8832"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I158397150","display_name":"Florida Southern College","ror":"https://ror.org/026hjc247","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I158397150"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kyle Burke","raw_affiliation_strings":["Florida Southern College, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Florida Southern College, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I158397150"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5022586125","display_name":"Matthew Ferland","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5289-7567"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I1174212","display_name":"University of Southern California","ror":"https://ror.org/03taz7m60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1174212"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Matthew Ferland","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Southern California, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Southern California, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I1174212"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5091199551","display_name":"Svenja Huntemann","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6808-2469"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I179301192","display_name":"Mount Saint Vincent University","ror":"https://ror.org/03g3p3b82","country_code":"CA","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I179301192"]}],"countries":["CA"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Svenja Huntemann","raw_affiliation_strings":["Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I179301192"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5102005063","display_name":"Shang\u2010Hua Teng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5011-4514"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I179301192","display_name":"Mount Saint Vincent University","ror":"https://ror.org/03g3p3b82","country_code":"CA","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I179301192"]}],"countries":["CA"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shang-Hua Teng","raw_affiliation_strings":["Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I179301192"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5091199551"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I179301192"],"apc_list":{"value":2690,"currency":"USD","value_usd":2690},"apc_paid":{"value":2690,"currency":"USD","value_usd":2690},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.19137657,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"1062","issue":null,"first_page":"115656","last_page":"115656"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11574","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Games","score":0.8080000281333923,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11574","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Games","score":0.8080000281333923,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11031","display_name":"Game Theory and Applications","score":0.058400001376867294,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10142","display_name":"Formal Methods in Verification","score":0.02879999950528145,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1703","display_name":"Computational Theory and Mathematics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/blackout","display_name":"Blackout","score":0.7005000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/simple","display_name":"Simple (philosophy)","score":0.5742999911308289},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/intersection","display_name":"Intersection (aeronautics)","score":0.5684000253677368},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/game-theory","display_name":"Game theory","score":0.5151000022888184},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/coin-flipping","display_name":"Coin flipping","score":0.4377000033855438}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777693866","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q359099","display_name":"Blackout","level":4,"score":0.7005000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144237770","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q747534","display_name":"Mathematical economics","level":1,"score":0.637499988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780586882","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7520643","display_name":"Simple (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.5742999911308289},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C64543145","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q162942","display_name":"Intersection (aeronautics)","level":2,"score":0.5684000253677368},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.5342000126838684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177142836","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44455","display_name":"Game theory","level":2,"score":0.5151000022888184},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97399411","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q825367","display_name":"Coin flipping","level":2,"score":0.4377000033855438},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776608160","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4785462","display_name":"Natural (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.39890000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.3386000096797943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C163258240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25342","display_name":"Power (physics)","level":2,"score":0.27889999747276306},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148220186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7111912","display_name":"Outcome (game theory)","level":2,"score":0.262800008058548}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S90727058","display_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","issn_l":"0304-3975","issn":["0304-3975","1879-2294"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2025.115656","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S90727058","display_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","issn_l":"0304-3975","issn":["0304-3975","1879-2294"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Theoretical Computer Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5755451403","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"CCF-2308744","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337387","funder_display_name":"Division of Computing and Communication Foundations"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8031863576","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"2022-04273","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334593","funder_display_name":"Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320306076","display_name":"National Science Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/021nxhr62"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320306164","display_name":"Simons Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/01cmst727"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334593","display_name":"Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada","ror":"https://ror.org/01h531d29"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337387","display_name":"Division of Computing and Communication Foundations","ror":"https://ror.org/01mng8331"}],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":6,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1966107173","https://openalex.org/W2038784300","https://openalex.org/W2046295942","https://openalex.org/W2330301979","https://openalex.org/W4213277361","https://openalex.org/W4311769722"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"In":[0],"this":[1,32],"paper,":[2],"we":[3,35,61],"address":[4],"a":[5,19,98],"natural":[6],"question":[7],"at":[8],"the":[9,89],"intersection":[10],"of":[11,21,66,77,108],"combinatorial":[12],"game":[13,90],"theory":[14],"and":[15,95],"computational":[16],"complexity:":[17],"\u201cCan":[18],"sum":[20],"simple":[22],"tepid":[23,59],"games":[24,57],"in":[25,42,82],"canonical":[26],"form":[27],"be":[28,80],"intractable?\u201d":[29],"To":[30],"resolve":[31],"fundamental":[33],"question,":[34],"consider":[36],"superstars":[37,67],",":[38],"positions":[39],"first":[40],"introduced":[41],"Winning":[43],"Ways":[44],"where":[45],"all":[46],"options":[47],"are":[48,68],"nimbers":[49,78],".":[50,103],"Extending":[51],"Morris\u2019":[52],"classic":[53],"result":[54],"with":[55],"hot":[56],"to":[58,70],"games,":[60],"prove":[62],"that":[63,88],"disjunctive":[64],"sums":[65,76],"intractable":[69,94,100],"solve.":[71],"This":[72],"is":[73,93],"striking":[74],"as":[75],"can":[79],"computed":[81],"linear":[83],"time.":[84],"Our":[85],"analysis":[86],"shows":[87],"Paint":[91],"Can":[92],"also":[96],"yields":[97],"new":[99],"game,":[101],"Blackout":[102],"We":[104],"present":[105],"web-playable":[106],"versions":[107],"both":[109],"games.":[110]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-09T08:11:56.329763","created_date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00"}