85

I am organising a lottery and Springer have kindly agreed to donate a copy of LaTeX and Friends.

Joseph Wright has kindly agreed to act a an independent witness/judge and he knows the winning number.

<LEGAL STUFF> The lottery closes when the judges announce the winner. The judges decision is final and there shall be no discussion and or correspondence about the outcome of the lottery. </LEGAL STUFF>

To win the book you must guess a number in the range 1--200. The first person who guesses the right number wins the book. Please note that the time of arrival in TeX-SX is what counts, not the time of sending.

To give everybody a fair chance, you may submit only one number.

There is one exception to the previous rule. If several contestants submit the same number, the contestant whose submission arrived first is valid. The other contestants may resubmit a new number.

Contestants must have been a member of TeX-SX before 13 December, 2012. (Without this restriction, people may start creating fake accounts and submit multiple guesses.)

Please post your guess as an answer to this meta question; not as a comment. Comments will be ignored. Please only put your guess in the body of the answer.

Guesses will be checked every couple of days and the winner will be announced within a few days after.

EDIT: At the winner's request, I can sign the book. (I'm not doing this by default because I know some people want to keep their books pencil and ink free.)

EDIT: There are still plenty of free numbers. I am relaxing the rules. Contestants may submit 2 (valid) guesses.

EDIT: Congratulations to @seadoor for guessing the right number 132. Well done. Thanks to Joseph Wright for helping as a judge and alerting me the right number had been chosen (I hadn't noticed it because it was added as an edit to an existing post). Thanks to everybody for participating. It took a bit longer than anticipated. Next time I should allow a shorter range of numbers.

Finally, please accept my apologies for entering the publicity tag.

Have fun.

Marc van Dongen

The numbers that are already chosen : Running your favorite algorithm-sort... Please Wait...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 45 47 49 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 80 81 83 84 85 87 88 89 91 92 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 105 106 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 135 136 137 138 139 142 143 144 145 147 149 150 151 152 153 154 156 157 160 161 162 164 165 166 167 169 170 171 172 173 174 176 177 180 182 183 185 187 188 190 191 193 195 196 197 198 199 200 250

-----------------------------------------
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|040|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|044|◖■◗|046|◖■◗|048|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|053|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|063|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|070|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|076|◖■◗|◖■◗|079|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|082|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|086|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|090|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|093|094|095|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|103|104|◖■◗|◖■◗|107|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|115|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|134|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|140|
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|141|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|146|◖■◗|148|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|155|◖■◗|◖■◗|158|159|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|168|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|175|◖■◗|◖■◗|178|179|◖■◗|
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|181|◖■◗|◖■◗|184|◖■◗|186|◖■◗|◖■◗|189|◖■◗|
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|◖■◗|192|◖■◗|194|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|◖■◗|
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\documentclass[border=5mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}

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}

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            \pgfkeys{/pgf/fpu=true,/pgf/fpu/output format=fixed}
            \pgfmathtruncatemacro\days{floor{##1+23}}
            \pgfmathtruncatemacro\hours{(##1+23-\days)*24+24}
            \def\pgfmathresult{\days\ Dec}
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    xticklabel=\tick
    }
}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[
    xcomb,
    timeplot,
    x tick label as interval,
    axis on top,
    xmin=2012-12-13 17:59,
    xmax=2012-12-20 24:00,
    xtick={2012-12-13 17:59, 2012-12-14 0:0.01, 2012-12-15 0:0.01, 2012-12-15 24:00.01, 2012-12-16 24:00.01, 2012-12-17 24:00.01, 2012-12-18 24:00.01, 2012-12-19 24:00.01, 2012-12-20 24:00.01},
    ymin=0, ymax=200,
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    after end axis/.code={
        \draw (axis cs:2012-12-13 17:59,0) -- (axis cs:2012-12-13 17:59,205) node [inner xsep=0pt, anchor=south west, align=left] {Lottery announced};
        \draw (axis cs:2012-12-17 7:10,0) -- (axis cs:2012-12-17 7:10,205) node [inner xsep=0pt, anchor=south west, align=left] {Relaxed rules:\\two votes allowed};
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]
\addplot +[draw=gray!50, mark options={black}, line width=12cm/200] table [col sep=comma] {
Time, Value
2012-12-13 18:22, 42
2012-12-13 18:28, 97
2012-12-13 18:56, 84
2012-12-13 18:58, 117
2012-12-13 19:07, 128
2012-12-13 19:11, 49
2012-12-13 19:19, 137
2012-12-13 19:21, 13
2012-12-13 19:22, 127
2012-12-13 19:28, 250
2012-12-13 19:43, 3
2012-12-13 21:43, 1
2012-12-13 21:47, 67
2012-12-13 22:02, 121
2012-12-13 22:13, 2
2012-12-13 22:29, 39
2012-12-13 22:42, 28
2012-12-13 23:07, 156
2012-12-13 23:27, 73
2012-12-13 23:34, 154
2012-12-13 23:39, 21
2012-12-13 23:55, 43
2012-12-14 0:04, 123
2012-12-14 0:27, 113
2012-12-14 1:12, 66
2012-12-14 1:26, 100
2012-12-14 2:12, 142
2012-12-14 2:31, 17
2012-12-14 2:43, 78
2012-12-14 3:53, 111
2012-12-14 5:38, 12
2012-12-14 7:21, 33
2012-12-14 8:50, 200
2012-12-14 8:52, 29
2012-12-14 9:00, 91
2012-12-14 9:21, 149
2012-12-14 9:25, 69
2012-12-14 9:39, 85
2012-12-14 10:23, 10
2012-12-14 10:36, 8
2012-12-14 11:11, 22
2012-12-14 11:13, 109
2012-12-14 11:45, 191
2012-12-14 12:04, 31
2012-12-14 13:14, 172
2012-12-14 15:56, 131
2012-12-14 14:29, 30
2012-12-14 15:44, 18
2012-12-14 17:06, 144
2012-12-14 17:24, 138
2012-12-14 17:50, 88
2012-12-14 19:47, 177
2012-12-14 20:17, 60
2012-12-14 20:34, 199
2012-12-14 20:51, 27
2012-12-14 21:05, 23
2012-12-14 22:51, 11
2012-12-14 23:48, 101
2012-12-15 1:14, 35
2012-12-15 1:20, 7
2012-12-15 3:16, 119
2012-12-15 4:33, 57
2012-12-15 4:42, 96
2012-12-15 6:13, 170
2012-12-15 9:00, 15
2012-12-15 13:59, 61
2012-12-15 14:58, 167
2012-12-15 16:43, 98
2012-12-15 17:13, 139
2012-12-15 18:15, 110
2012-12-15 18:25, 64
2012-12-15 20:33, 71
2012-12-15 20:46, 58
2012-12-15 23:03, 19
2012-12-16 10:02, 139
2012-12-16 11:34, 99
2012-12-16 13:56, 38
2012-12-16 14:56, 16
2012-12-16 17:42, 47
2012-12-16 18:29, 185
2012-12-16 19:34, 150
2012-12-16 20:45, 9
2012-12-17 6:01, 106
2012-12-17 7:45, 102
2012-12-17 7:50, 81
2012-12-17 7:50, 37
2012-12-17 8:20, 24
2012-12-17 8:20, 54
2012-12-17 8:23, 197
2012-12-17 8:23, 135
2012-12-17 8:36, 160
2012-12-17 8:46, 72
2012-12-17 8:54, 32
2012-12-17 9:52, 9
2012-12-17 10:8, 171
2012-12-17 12:07, 36
2012-12-17 12:20, 120    
2012-12-17 13:20, 169
2012-12-17 13:41, 6
2012-12-17 14:00, 182
2012-12-17 14:38, 163
2012-12-17 14:38, 188
2012-12-17 15:06, 187
2012-12-17 15:52, 129
2012-12-17 16:22, 4
2012-12-17 16:22, 5
2012-12-17 17:07, 80
2012-12-17 17:07, 166
2012-12-17 17:10, 162
2012-12-17 17:22, 55
2012-12-17 17:57, 105
2012-12-17 19:18, 14
2012-12-17 19:34, 147
2012-12-17 19:42, 34
2012-12-17 19:42, 157
2012-12-17 19:55, 112
2012-12-17 20:17, 183
2012-12-17 20:17, 45
2012-12-17 20:20, 198
2012-12-17 20:59, 87
2012-12-17 21:30, 20
2012-12-17 21:51, 116
2012-12-17 22:01, 77
2012-12-17 22:01, 145
2012-12-17 22:35, 133
2012-12-17 22:35, 51
2012-12-17 22:40, 180
2012-12-17 23:30, 151
2012-12-18 3:14, 161
2012-12-18 4:14, 105
2012-12-18 4:14, 106
2012-12-18 4:32, 195
2012-12-18 4:32, 196
2012-12-18 8:45, 190
2012-12-18 10:43, 108
2012-12-18 13:59, 89
2012-12-18 16:11, 65
2012-12-18 16:25, 164
2012-12-18 22:03, 173
2012-12-18 22:03, 174
2012-12-18 23:37, 136
2012-12-19 1:32, 130
2012-12-19 3:5, 75
2012-12-19 3:29, 62
2012-12-19 4:0, 68
2012-12-19 7:58, 125
2012-12-19 9:46, 83
2012-12-19 10:16, 41
2012-12-19 11:29, 92
2012-12-19 11:29, 114
2012-12-19 12:27, 122
2012-12-19 15:9, 143
2012-12-19 15:14, 152
2012-12-19 15:14, 153
2012-12-19 19:53, 74
2012-12-19 20:32, 52
2012-12-19 23:9, 126
2012-12-20 0:21, 50
2012-12-20 10:12, 59
2012-12-20 10:15, 165
};
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\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
35
  • 3
    To all: After posting the answer can you please include your number on the list in the question ? If we expect high attendance it will soon go out of hand. Maybe we can collect all the guesses in one answer for ease similar to our package maintainers question.
    – percusse
    Commented Dec 13, 2012 at 22:44
  • 1
    @percusse - Newbies can't edit the question :(
    – Tyler
    Commented Dec 13, 2012 at 23:42
  • @Tyler No problem, I added the number :)
    – percusse
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 0:03
  • 6
    What happens if there are < 200 entries and the number you choose hasn't been picked by anyone?
    – Alan Munn
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 0:09
  • 3
    @AlanMunn Should there not be a winner by Christmas, I'll come up with a solution. Possible solutions are picking a contestant at random. (It's possible.)
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 8:08
  • 2
    FYI There's another book for grabs on comp.text.tex.
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 17:32
  • 6
    @AryehLeibTaurog The purpose of the lottery is to give away a book for free.
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 16, 2012 at 17:53
  • 5
    @MarcvanDongen In my defense: (1) I followed the suggestion to add my own number to the list and, before editing, checked the last several revisions before mine. Since the list and graph seemed to be maintained separately, I explicitly mentioned that I didn't update the graph as a courtesy to alert those actively maintaining it. Clearly that worked; my apologies if it offended. (2) I have been a member at TeX.SX since 17 January 2012 and am not sure how you determined otherwise. (3) I've submitted my second entry and updated the graph accordingly this time.
    – Tim Parenti
    Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 17:15
  • 2
    @Stephen It seems the graph is done in UTC according to the time the entry was posted here.
    – Tim Parenti
    Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 20:08
  • 2
    So those who come to enter now stand a much higher change than those of us who have entered already, because there are fewer numbers left for them to choose from :( But I guess we had the chance earlier on to guess before they did.
    – SabreWolfy
    Commented Dec 19, 2012 at 21:04
  • 3
    @SabreWolfy Ohh time for everyone to play Monty Hall
    – David Carlisle
    Commented Dec 20, 2012 at 1:14
  • 1
    @Jake We have a winner.
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 20, 2012 at 17:29
  • 1
    Is there some meaning to 132, or was it chosen randomly?
    – mafp
    Commented Dec 20, 2012 at 20:37
  • 1
    @mafp It was chosen at random. I sent the number to Joseph Wright before I announced the lottery.
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 20, 2012 at 20:40
  • 1
    @Qrrbrbirlbel As a figure of speech:)
    – user10274
    Commented Dec 20, 2012 at 22:44

122 Answers 122

Reset to default
1
2
3 4 5
3

So this is my first post on meta - who would have guessed that? Here we go: 117 and 36

3

144 - It has a number of interesting properties; the one I like the most: the largest Fibonacci number that is a square.

EDIT: my second guess: 55 - The largest triangular number in the Fibonacci sequence.

3
  • 49
  • 151
1
  • 3
    And it is 49 = 42 + 7. I should have thought of that.
    – Stephen
    Commented Dec 13, 2012 at 19:17
2

97 - why not! (This is just to get the answer registered)

2

I choose 3, because of this comment.

enter image description here

2

39 -- I want the book! I am crazy of only books :-)

2

21, of course. I hope I get the book before then, as I won't have much need for LaTeX once the world ends.

2

1+1=3 so I'll go with 113. :)

2

66 (just a random number in order to win)

2

142, which is just a number I like.

2

12 which is my favourite number also a sacred number.

2

29 please, although there are already more than enough answers – as the system is warning me.

1
  • 1
    I found that comment quite amusing as well. I guess artificial intelligence is still a little way off.
    – Andrew Stacey
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 9:01
2

I think the number is: 69

;-D

1
  • woohoo!! aw yeaaahhhhhhh
    – Sean Allred
    Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 19:45
2

18 - day of birth - just because 22 was already taken.

2

138 - Since I'm unable to decide myself such an important thing, I asked http://www.random.org/ and this was the answer.

2

Ummm... 60? 60. Definitely 60! How many characters is that...

2

199

No witty comment, but I did get this message, as I'm sure lots of other folks did.

enter image description here

1
  • So did you read through all the existing answers first to make sure that your answer will be contributing something new?
    – Jesper Ipsen
    Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 20:45
2

139

Because at this time, these numbers were already given:

1 2 3 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 39 42 43 49 57 60 61 66 67 69 73 78 84 85 88 91 96 97 100 101 109 111 113 117 118 119 121 123 127 128 131 137 138 142 144 149 154 156 170 172 177 191 199 200 250

So, in bash:

$ a=( 1 2 3 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 39 42 43 49 57 60 61 66 67 69 73 78 84 85 88 91 96 97 100 101 109 111 113 117 118 119 121 123 127 128 131 137 138 142 144 149 154 156 170 172 177 191 199 200 250 )
$ IFS=+ read s <<< "${a[*]}"
$ echo $((s%200+1))
139
2

Dreaming of apples on a wall,

And dreaming often, dear,

I dreamed that, if I counted all

-- How many would appear?

The answer is 10.

Edit (second guess): or maybe 9?

2

67 -- just a random number ...

My second guess: 120.

2

47, because according to The 47 society "47 appears to be the quintessential random number of the universe."

Edit: Second guess: 094

2

73 - Joseph's user number, for lack of any better ideas or a 200-sided dice.

EDIT: second guess:

105 - it somehow stood out to me from the table of still available numbers...

2

Others beat me at posting my favorite numbers, so here is my (wild) guess:

31 (my birthday :))

My second guess, since it's still not taken:

108

EDIT: If I win, I'd like the book to be signed. :)

1
  • I feel like congratulating myself on the originality of my choice... :D
    – Count Zero
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 19:15
2

8, just because it's my birthday. Second guess: 65.

2

I'm a TeX newbie, but it'd be cool to win a book :)

185.

Should I edit the answer to add my number in, or are the admins taking care of that?

Edit: My second answer: 75.

1
  • I’m going to edit this for you right now.
    – Speravir
    Commented Dec 16, 2012 at 18:38
2

123 three digits of consecutive numbers divisible by 3 less than 200.

My second guess is 143 just because other people will not pick it because of its use as a common code for a corny endearment.

2

156, dice roll.

second guess: 74

2

23 and 124.

1
  • 2
    I can't Fnord believe 23 was still Fnord available...
    – cgnieder
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 22:28
1
2
3 4 5