Word.ws English Dictionary

Josephus problem

Josephus problem proper noun: a theoretical problem in which every nth person, counting around a circle of people, is chosen for execution, and this process repeats after the removal of each chosen person, with the last person left being freed. The problem is to select one's position so as to be the last to be chosen.

Proper noun

the Josephus problem

  1. A theoretical problem in which every nth person, counting around a circle of people, is chosen for execution, and this process repeats after the removal of each chosen person, with the last person left being freed. The problem is to select one's position so as to be the last to be chosen.

Origin of Josephus problem

Named after Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the 1st century, who describes such a situation in his account of the siege of Yodfat.

Questions about Josephus problem

What does Josephus problem mean?
Josephus problem means a theoretical problem in which every nth person, counting around a circle of people, is chosen for execution, and this process repeats after the removal of each chosen person, with the last person left being freed. The problem is to select one's position so as to be the last to be chosen.
What part of speech is Josephus problem?
Josephus problem is a proper noun.

Words near Josephus problem in the dictionary

  1. Josephson effect
  2. Josephson junction
  3. Josephson junctions
  4. Josephsons
  5. Josephus
  6. Josephus problem
  7. Josey
  8. Joseys
  9. josh
  10. Josh.
  11. Joshan

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Josephus problem (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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