FAILURE MAP
← Case archive

FA-15306 / Numerics / Open access

Josephus elimination order: counted removal position · case 01

The exact josephus elimination order result violates the stated contract at counted removal position.

Verified by executionVariant 1 · 8 checks per implementationDownload source bundle ↓JSON ↗

ROOT CAUSE

The counted removal position step uses (index+k)%len(ring) instead of (index+k-1)%len(ring).

VERIFIED REPAIR

Use (index+k-1)%len(ring) at the counted removal position step.

Unsuccessful approach: The partial repair (k-1)%len(ring) still violates the counted removal position invariant.

Case contract

Input [n,k,start], n>0 k>0 0<=start<n; return removal order counting current position as one.

Why this case matters

Exact discrete arithmetic with observable algorithmic state; no floating point approximation is used.

1 / The failure

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
import math
import itertools
from fractions import Fraction
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    n,k,start=x
    ring=list(range(n));index=start;out=[]
    for _ in range(n):
     if not ring:break
     index=(index+k)%len(ring)
     out.append(ring.pop(index))
     index=index
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([2, 1, 0], [0, 1]), ([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([1, 2, 0], [0]), ([1, 3, 0], [0]), ([1, 4, 0], [0]), ([1, 5, 0], [0])], [([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 4, 1], [0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([2, 5, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 1], [0, 1]), ([2, 7, 0], [0, 1])], [([2, 2, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 7, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([3, 4, 1], [1, 0, 2]), ([3, 4, 2], [2, 1, 0]), ([3, 5, 0], [1, 2, 0]), ([3, 5, 1], [2, 0, 1])], [([2, 2, 1], [0, 1]), ([3, 1, 2], [2, 0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 1, 3], [3, 0, 1, 2]), ([4, 2, 0], [1, 3, 2, 0]), ([4, 2, 1], [2, 0, 3, 1]), ([4, 2, 2], [3, 1, 0, 2])], [([2, 3, 0], [0, 1]), ([3, 2, 2], [0, 2, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 6, 0], [1, 0, 3, 2]), ([4, 6, 1], [2, 1, 0, 3]), ([4, 6, 2], [3, 2, 1, 0]), ([4, 6, 3], [0, 3, 2, 1])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("explicit oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
explicit oracle 0[1, 0][0, 1]Failed
explicit oracle 1[0, 1][1, 0]Failed
explicit oracle 2[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 3[7, 5, 4, 6, 9, 1, 10, 0, 8, 2, 3][6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]Failed
explicit oracle 4[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 5[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 6[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 7[0][0]Passed

SHA-256 / a5b4d9de9948d0ed7fcc49890c5e24208e73e920950491b5cb5776e44ce234fd

2 / The unsuccessful fix

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
import math
import itertools
from fractions import Fraction
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    n,k,start=x
    ring=list(range(n));index=start;out=[]
    for _ in range(n):
     if not ring:break
     index=(k-1)%len(ring)
     out.append(ring.pop(index))
     index=index
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([2, 1, 0], [0, 1]), ([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([1, 2, 0], [0]), ([1, 3, 0], [0]), ([1, 4, 0], [0]), ([1, 5, 0], [0])], [([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 4, 1], [0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([2, 5, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 1], [0, 1]), ([2, 7, 0], [0, 1])], [([2, 2, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 7, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([3, 4, 1], [1, 0, 2]), ([3, 4, 2], [2, 1, 0]), ([3, 5, 0], [1, 2, 0]), ([3, 5, 1], [2, 0, 1])], [([2, 2, 1], [0, 1]), ([3, 1, 2], [2, 0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 1, 3], [3, 0, 1, 2]), ([4, 2, 0], [1, 3, 2, 0]), ([4, 2, 1], [2, 0, 3, 1]), ([4, 2, 2], [3, 1, 0, 2])], [([2, 3, 0], [0, 1]), ([3, 2, 2], [0, 2, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 6, 0], [1, 0, 3, 2]), ([4, 6, 1], [2, 1, 0, 3]), ([4, 6, 2], [3, 2, 1, 0]), ([4, 6, 3], [0, 3, 2, 1])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("explicit oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
explicit oracle 0[0, 1][0, 1]Passed
explicit oracle 1[0, 1][1, 0]Failed
explicit oracle 2[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 3[7, 8, 9, 10, 0, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 1][6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]Failed
explicit oracle 4[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 5[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 6[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 7[0][0]Passed

SHA-256 / 530dd0986788f857637662259dffac111645d5e03601d993622c81ea05fd234d

3 / The verified repair

Exit 0
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
import math
import itertools
from fractions import Fraction
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(x):
    n,k,start=x
    ring=list(range(n));index=start;out=[]
    for _ in range(n):
     if not ring:break
     index=(index+k-1)%len(ring)
     out.append(ring.pop(index))
     index=index
    return out
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[([2, 1, 0], [0, 1]), ([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([1, 2, 0], [0]), ([1, 3, 0], [0]), ([1, 4, 0], [0]), ([1, 5, 0], [0])], [([2, 1, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 4, 1], [0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([2, 5, 1], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 6, 1], [0, 1]), ([2, 7, 0], [0, 1])], [([2, 2, 0], [1, 0]), ([2, 7, 1], [1, 0]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([3, 4, 1], [1, 0, 2]), ([3, 4, 2], [2, 1, 0]), ([3, 5, 0], [1, 2, 0]), ([3, 5, 1], [2, 0, 1])], [([2, 2, 1], [0, 1]), ([3, 1, 2], [2, 0, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 1, 3], [3, 0, 1, 2]), ([4, 2, 0], [1, 3, 2, 0]), ([4, 2, 1], [2, 0, 3, 1]), ([4, 2, 2], [3, 1, 0, 2])], [([2, 3, 0], [0, 1]), ([3, 2, 2], [0, 2, 1]), ([1, 1, 0], [0]), ([11, 8, 10], [6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]), ([4, 6, 0], [1, 0, 3, 2]), ([4, 6, 1], [2, 1, 0, 3]), ([4, 6, 2], [3, 2, 1, 0]), ([4, 6, 3], [0, 3, 2, 1])]]
for i, (args, expected) in enumerate(fixtures[N-1]):
    check("explicit oracle %d" % i, solve(args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
explicit oracle 0[0, 1][0, 1]Passed
explicit oracle 1[1, 0][1, 0]Passed
explicit oracle 2[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 3[6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7][6, 3, 1, 0, 2, 5, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7]Passed
explicit oracle 4[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 5[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 6[0][0]Passed
explicit oracle 7[0][0]Passed

SHA-256 / bbedcb1c1bd24dcecee6e10f84e3b1f9ad78fbf62a21e684aafe11ab799d9079

Verification & scope

A deterministic bounded teaching model. Inputs are restricted to the explicit contract; this is not a production algebra library. This reproducer isolates one failure mechanism. Results cover the supplied fixtures. Variants within a family share a test contract and should remain grouped when constructing evaluation splits. Related mechanisms with a shared evaluation_group must also remain together; these controlled models are not independent production incidents.

Observations recorded using Python 3.12.14 at 2026-09-29T14:39:25.331634+00:00.

Case digest / 98e5a28efe790164afd2497870f4b1ea0a38a5775c2083ea9c51c8938b2a7734