The Josephus problem, also known as the suicide problem is a mathematical puzzle linked to a certain counting-out game. Named after the Jewish soldier and historian Flavius Josephus, the problem dates back to the first century against the backdrop of a battle between the Roman and Jewish forces. Today, this intriguing problem extends to real world situations forming a part of algorithm analysis which is used to solve numerous problems related to circular operations. So what exactly is the Josephus problem?
Fancy yourself in a scenario, standing in a circle, waiting to be executed along with the others forming a part of that circle. Each individual standing in the circle is supposed to slay the person standing beside him and subsequently hand over the weapon to the next living person. This affair carries on until there’s only one survivor left. Now where would you park yourself to rescue yourself from this derangement? Where would you be perched so that YOU are the lone survivor? That’s what the Josephus problem focuses on.
Want to find out the eloquently expressed solution of this seemingly baffling problem? Watch the video.