You are correct: the formula in the first link does not produce the series listed for it (I noticed that, too). At the time I wrote it off as something to do with the different OFFSET value (1,2 in the first link vs 0,1 in the second) and didn't pursue it further. I just investigated the meaning of OFFSET, and found that while it may account for the discrepancy in the number of terms at the start of the series (e.g., before '83' is reached), it does not account for the difference in values (1,2,6 vs 2,3,7). I included the first link because, as you noted, the description of the problem is much better than in the second.

There is additional discussion of this issue here, where the author of the reference in the first link (Michiel de Bondt) weighs in.

Good poll idea! ++

Update following tye's post:
6 bananas are required to go 3 miles

Eat a banana, carry one 0.5 miles, drop it, and return.  Repeat.
Total bananas: 4

        0       1       2       3
        |---.-:-|-------|-------|
Bananas     2
Camel   C

Eat a banana, carry one 0.75 miles, drop it, and walk back to the 0.5 
+mile mark
Total bananas: 6

        0       1       2       3
        |---.-:-|-------|-------|
Bananas     2 1
Camel       C

Eat a banana, carry one 0.5 miles and drop it at 1.0, and return to th
+e 0.75 mile mark (with 0.25 bananas left in the stomach)

        0       1       2       3
        |---.-:-|-------|-------|
Bananas       1 1
Camel         C

Pick up the banana, return to the 1 mile mark

        0       1       2       3
        |---.-:-|-------|-------|
Bananas         2
Camel           C

Eat one banana, carry the other one to the 2 mile mark

Eat the last banana, walk to the 3 mile mark, and hope the location of
+ the oasis on your map is correct
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