OFFSET
1,3
COMMENTS
Arrange n persons {1,2,...,n} consecutively on a line rather than around in a circle. Beginning at the left end of the line, we remove every q-th person until we reach the end of the line. At this point we immediately reverse directions, taking care not to "double count" the person at the end of the line and continue to eliminate every q-th person, but now moving right to left. We continue removing people in this back-and-forth manner until there remains a lone survivor w(n,q).
Or a(n) is in A145812 such that 2n+1-2a(n) is in A145812 as well. Note also that 2a(n)+A088442(n-1)=2n+1. - Vladimir Shevelev, Oct 20 2008
LINKS
Chris Groër, The Mathematics of Survival: From Antiquity to the Playground, Amer. Math. Monthly, 110 (No. 9, 2003), 812-825.
FORMULA
w(n, 2) = 1 + Sum_{odd j=1..k} b(j)*(2^j), where Sum_{j=0..k} b(j)*(2^j) is the binary expansion of either n or n-1, whichever is odd.
a(n) = A063695(n-1) + 1.
EXAMPLE
a(2)=11, since people are eliminated in the order 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 9, 5, 1, 7, 3, leaving 11 as the survivor.
PROG
(Python)
def A090569(n): return (n-1&((1<<(m:=(n-1).bit_length())+(m&1^1))-1)//3)+1 # Chai Wah Wu, Jan 30 2023
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
John W. Layman, Dec 02 2003
STATUS
approved