Answer to January 12, 2004 Problem

The Street Number Problem

 
The people living on Elvis Street in Winchester all decide to buy new house numbers so they line up at Miller's Hardware in order of their addresses: 1, 2, 3, ...

If the store has 100 of each digit, what is the first address that won't be able to buy the digits for its house number?

 

Solution to the Problem:

The first house that could not buy all its digits for its house number is #163.

The digits are fairly balanced from house #1 to #99, but after that, the ones are used more, so the ones will run out first. The last house to purchase all the digits for its house number was #162.


Correctly solved by:

1. Akash Patel Columbus, Georgia
2. Andrea Eberhard Columbus, Ohio
3. John Funk Ventura, California
4. Bill Funk San Antonio, Texas
5. Walt Arrison Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. Cady C. Columbus, Georgia
7. Laura LaRusso Winchester, Virginia
8. Dave Smith Toledo, Ohio
9. Jeffrey Gaither Winchester, Virginia
10. Zach Enumah Columbus, Georgia
11. James Alarie University of Michigan -- Flint
Flint, Michigan
12. David & Judy Dixon Bennettsville, South Carolina
13. Britney Ford Winchester, Virginia
14. Larry Schwartz Trumbull, Connecticutt
15. Scott Valare Toledo, Ohio
16. Greg Gaynor Winchester, Virginia
17. Patrick Mize Columbus, Georgia
18. Kathryn Harris Winchester, Virginia
19. Adam Arslan Winchester, Virginia