Rank odometer numbers in order of

'Peter Webb' wrote

The 'least interesting number' is very special.

I suggest it should go at the top.

Hmmm... most interesting!

This leads to a very old paradox.

List all the uninteresting numbers.

The lowest of these is of course interesting as the lowest uninteresting number.

Which makes the next lowest uninteresting number into the lowest.

At which point it becomes interesting as the lowest uninteresting number.

Repeat until head explodes thinking about it

Mark Stubbs

'the smallest positive integer not describable in fewer than twelve words'

None. I didn't even notice when the odometer rolled over. When I looked down, the odometer had only a couple hundred miles on it

Of course not all odometers record miles. Some like mine record kilometres.

But I love my odometer. I am always conscious of many zeros when they turn up and will often look down uncosnciously when there are three or more. It makes one think how much the eye and brain actually see without one being aware of it.

My current cars odo has gone through some interesting numbers recently and the most striking have been 111111 and 123456. I always look for reversals 123321 of each three pattern and each repeat pattern 123123. I guess 111111 was both of these plus being a six pattern and its reversal so is extra interesting.

I have been most interested in the patterns between the 6 digit main counter and the 5 digit (albeit shifted one place) trip counter. it seems that with thought and careful zeroing at the appropriate moment one could set up an 11 pattern that would last for only one tenth of a measurement unit. that would be special.

So what I would take a phopto of is.

111111 1111.1

But I guess I would have to get a new car for that - or wait for the 7 odd years that i reckon it will take to get to:

222222 2222.2

Number of carbon rings in a molecule of

'Mark J. Tilford' schrieb:

There are no organic chemicals that big, I'd say.

My best guess for the third smallest positive integer not describable in fewer than twelve words would be 'one trillion one billion one million one thousand one hundred and three' (100100100003), except that it easily given as 'ten oh ten oh ten triple oh three'.

Can anyone do better?