Thomas (4/15/2009)

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Couple of very simple solutions.

First one is SQL 2005/2008 only, won't work in 2000:

create table dbo.Numbers (Number int primary key);

go

insert into dbo.Numbers (Number)

select top 10000 row_number() over (order by...

Peso,

I'm not sure that I'm following your toll-booth analogy properly. I don't see how it fits with the data you posted as coming from the OP:

...

Christopher Stobbs (4/9/2009)

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Am I correct in saying the values need to stay in the same rows?

or could I sort this sample as follows:

Sample

Col1 Col2 Col3

9 ...

OK. If the puzzle's rules specify that the given data always has increasing values in the respective columns of each row, so be it. Does that affect one's...

RBarryYoung (4/8/2009)

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. . . .

1) When the rows are "in order", values will monotonically increase left to right and top to bottom.

2) This places implicit restrictions on the...

Since this seems to be a classic example of (whose signature line has this?) "You need an answer? NO. You need a question.", I'd like to offer a hypothetical...

Bravo!! Excelent QOD. I don't mind admitting I had wrong answers because I did learn something. And that is the point, isn't it?

Christian Buettner (4/4/2009)

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jsanborn (4/2/2009)

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Since this was posted for a community of database professionals, I didn't think a great deal of detailed explanation was needed just like I didn't think it...

Bob Hovious (4/2/2009)

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......If each of the men paid only 90 bucks (100-10) and 3*90 = 270, and the bellboy kept 20 for a tip, that's only 290 out of the...

Chris Morris (4/3/2009)

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There were two other ideas which I've not had time to follow up yet. The first was to derive an average...

My goodness!!!!...

Stef,

What am I missing here? Why do you say "Sound like changing it doens't really simplify it..."?

Taking the suggestion of Ramesh and wrapping the case statement in a CTE...

David,

This is an interesting challenge. I'd like to understand it better, so have two questions.

So you can see how I'm looking at it, code that I've used for optional...

Vijayd,

Glad to have helped. (It is a bit ironic that you posted in the SQL2000 forum without noticing and that I responded here, equally oblivious to the greater context).

Your solution...

Alvin Ramard (3/30/2009)

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i.e....