The least value which first exceeds...
Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 5:23 am
Very small grammar nitpick:
"Find the least value of n for which f(n) first exceeds one million."
Can anyone explain how the word "first" could be anything other than redundant in this sentence?
Even if, say, f(n) goes above one million, then below again, then above, the "least value of n" would always be the first anyway.
I see this usage repeated many times so it seems it must have been chosen intentionally for some reason. I find it confusing because I always try to figure out what "first" is referring to that's not already in the rest of the sentence, until I realize it's just a quirk of the problem phrasing here.
"Find the least value of n for which f(n) first exceeds one million."
Can anyone explain how the word "first" could be anything other than redundant in this sentence?
Even if, say, f(n) goes above one million, then below again, then above, the "least value of n" would always be the first anyway.
I see this usage repeated many times so it seems it must have been chosen intentionally for some reason. I find it confusing because I always try to figure out what "first" is referring to that's not already in the rest of the sentence, until I realize it's just a quirk of the problem phrasing here.
