The Rendezvous Problem

The Rendezvous problem is similar to other mathematical puzzles that are difficult to solve yet are relatively simple to grasp. In its simplest version, it asks what two persons should do if they are visiting a park for the first time and become lost, in order to find one another as quickly as possible. Should only one of them move while the other stays put? Should they both remain in the same location?

Of course, being together cannot be the answer because they would never run into each other. There are many different ways to describe this issue. The problem can be applied to a wide range of domains other than search and rescue operations. The room can be a maze, the two people can represent computers, data structures, or anything else. Despite numerous attempts, no one has successfully solved the Rendezvous problem in any of its forms since 1976, when Steve Alpern initially put out the idea.