Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Ali Baba wrote the number `17` on a piece of paper. The forty thieves pass the paper to each other, and each one either adds `1` to the existing number, or subtracts `1`, until each of them has done so once, and then they return the paper to Ali Baba.

Is it possible that the number now written on the paper is `40`?

Difficulty level (1 very easy - 10 very hard): 3

Topics:
Arithmetic Combinatorics -> Invariants Logic -> Reasoning / Logic Number Theory -> Division -> Parity (Even/Odd) Combinatorics -> Case Analysis / Checking Cases -> Processes / Procedures
Sources:
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