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The Forty-One Circle

brainteaser
Forty-one soldiers stand in a circle, numbered 1 through 41. Beginning with soldier 1, a count proceeds clockwise: the first soldier is spared, the second is killed, the third is spared, the fourth is killed, and so on. After reaching soldier 41, the counting continues around the reduced circle without resetting. Every second surviving soldier is killed until only one remains. Assuming the numbering and direction never change, which original position belongs to the final survivor?

Hints

Hint 1
Hint 2
Hint 3

Solution

Commit an attempt to unseal the proof. Write your answer — right or wrong, thinking it through is the point.

Which numbered soldier survives?

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