This was on my 5th grader's homework:
what is the least number you can make using all of the digits from 0 through 9 exactly once?
My answer was 1,023,456,789. The teacher says it's 0,123,456,789.
I think that if the zero is the first digit, it's not actually part of the number.
???
I agree with you.
i don't get it...
And I concur with Ms Sue.
In our standard way of writing numbers, the lead digit cannot be a zero.
Thank you! Glad to know you agree with me.
Does make me wonder, though, if other incorrect info is being given in class.
To find the least number using all of the digits from 0 through 9 exactly once, we need to consider the concept of place value.
In the decimal number system, the position of a digit affects its value. If a digit appears at the leftmost position, it has the greatest value, whereas if it appears at the rightmost position, it has the least value.
In this case, if we want to find the smallest number, the first digit should have the least possible value. According to the traditional rules of writing numbers, we generally avoid starting with zero unless it is the only digit.
So, when arranging all the digits from 0 through 9 exactly once, the teacher's answer of 0,123,456,789 is correct. By starting with zero, we ensure that the first digit has the least possible value, which results in the smallest number possible.