help needed with sequence from a correspondent

[N. J. A. Sloane]

This came in today.

Would some seqfan please find out what the sequence really is,
and help the writer submit it if necessary.

Post a note here if you are going to do so.

Thanks!

Neil

Reply-To: "Robert Stanjer" <rstanjer at blueyonder.co.uk>
From: "Robert Stanjer" <ms015g2444_2 at blueyonder.co.uk>
To: <njas at research.att.com>
Subject: A new sequence??? A new symbol???
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 17:48:14 +0100

Hi,
I have got a pattern, that isnt feathured in your site, it goes as =
follow (first 30 terms):
1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 5, 7, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, =
15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29.
If you are struggling wondering how this works, try to visually =
represent it as follows, there are a certain number of people sitting =
around a table, with numbered seats, the person sitting on the first =
seat stays alive, the second dies, third lives, fourth dies and so on, =
eventually you will be left with one person, and the seat that that one =
person is sitting on will be the term for that many number of people.
I have tried countless times, to find an nth term for this sequence, but =
i have had no luck, i have come up with this:
( x - 1 ) - 2( ( x - 1 ) -n )
n = obviously the terms number
x = the next, lowest number that is 2 to the power of anything
As i have said earlier, i cannot find an nth term for this sequence, =
because there are 2 variables, i am wondering, if there is a symbol for =
such a process of working out the next number that is any number to the =
power of any number.
If there is not (which i highly doubt), i suggest something along the =
lines of:
S+2  S-2 S+3 S-3

S, stands for the symbol (most likely a greek letter), and the =
subscripted + or - means the next, or the last, and the number refers to =
what that number to the power of something will be, so:

S+2 = the next, lowest number that is 2anything

S-2 = the last, highest number that is 2anything

S+3 = the next, lowest number that is 3anything

S-3  = the last, highest number that is 3anything

Thank you for your time, and i hope you can reply to me as soon as =
possible, to answer my question about wheter or not there is a symbol =
for what i have desribed above, or if one will be needed.

Thanks alot,

                    Robert Stanjer