#include <iostream.h>

int main()
  {
   unsigned int n,m;      //when this is long i get WA
   cin>>n>>m;
   if (n<=m) cout<<2*(n-1); else cout<<2*m-1;
   return 0;
  }

But why do you think tha's strange? You write 2*(n-1) in your code,
thus, since n<2^31, 2*(n-1) could be close to 2^32, and you are to
use unsigned.