Spring 2010 Problem 1: How low can you go?
This week's problem is so easy, all you have to do is submit a number. For your answer, submit a positive integer (that is, a number from the set 1, 2, 3, ....). The winner will be the person who submitted the smallest integer that no one else submitted.
For example, assume the submitted numbers were 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 7, and 10. The smallest number with only one submission is 3 —- that's the winner.
Solution
In a surprising finish, the winner was.... 2! (I can't recall that low a winner in some time.) The winning entry (earning 3 points) came from Roland Womack. Dr. Lisantti wins the non-student award with 4. Charles Madden earned 2 points with the entry of 5, and Andrew Jarboe earned 1 point with his entry of 7.
Here are the numbers submitted with the number in parentheses showing the number of submissions of that number: 1 (5), 2 (1), 3 (2), 4(1), 5 (1), 6 (4), 7 (1), 8 (1), 9 (3), 10 (1), 11 (7!), 12 (1), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (1), 16 (1), 17 (2), 19 (1), 23 (1), 29 (1), 53 (1).