The Year 2002 is a palindromic year (it reads the same backwards as forwards). The last one occurred in 1991, so we have lived to see two palindromic years. However, most people only live to see one Palindromic year since recently, they have occurred 110 years apart (1991, 1881, 1771, 1661, ...).
Starting with the Year 1 AD, what period of 100 years contains the most number of palindromic years?
Solution:
There are two answers:
The years 1 to 100 AD and the years 2 to 101 AD both contain 18 palindromic years.
Scanning back through the years,
in the four-digit years: most palindromic years are separated by
110 years;
in the three-digit years:
most are separated by 10 years (999, 989, 979, ...), so in a span
of 100 years (from 900 to 999) there are ten palindromic years;
But the most Palindromic years occur in the single- and two-digit years:
101, 99, 88, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22, 11, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Richard K. Johnson | La Jolla, California |
| 2. Keith Mealy | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 3. Rick Jones | Kennett Square, Pennsylvania |
| 4. Walt Arrison | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 5. Jaime Garcia | Winchester, Virginia |
| 6. John Beasley | Winchester, Virginia |
| 7. Jacob Baker | Winchester, Virginia |
| 8. Laurence O'Neill | Winchester, Virginia |
| 9. Bob Hearn | Winchester, Virginia |
| 10. David & Judy Dixon | Bennettsville, South Carolina |
| 11. David Powell | Winchester, Virginia |
| 12. Travis Riggs | Winchester, Virginia |
| 13. Joe Jenkins | Winchester, Virginia |
| 14. George Gaither | Winchester, Virginia |
| 15. Jaime Lockhart | Winchester, Virginia |
| 16. Matt Crandell | Winchester, Virginia |
| 17. James Alarie | University of Michigan -- Flint |
| 18. Nick von Keller | Winchester, Virginia |
| 19. Brandon Copple | Winchester, Virginia |
| 20. Tori Eads | Winchester, Virginia |