What's Your Joaquin Number?

When Jesse Eisenberg said in "Now You See Me" that you have to be the smartest guy in the room, I told myself, "Not in my College, sir."

Michael Joaquin, batch 2011 graduate, was the first and so far still the only Summa Cum Laude graduate of UP College in Cebu. And being his classmate for four years plus the three years in High School, I am a first-hand witness to the smart-assery and near extra-terrestrial dedication and wisdom of this man. I had been all ears on every girl he roamed the mall for for gifts, almost always unrequited they were, as well as all eyes for his innocent ability to imbibe lessons like they were food in a free taste booth.

Being a classmate and a friend to him somehow guarantees me a right to feel pride, and then I ask myself, what if there was a number that would describe how much pride you can take from being a classmate to him?

What if there was?

So here are some rules that may make that probable:

1. An initial number of 5 is set to a person.
2. If there was any class that a person has shared with Joaquin in a sem, subtract 1 from 5. The subtracted 1 will suffice for all the classes that a person has shared with him for that same sem, or that same year (e.g. If a student was a classmate in a Math subject in the first sem of first year, and a classmate again in a CompSci subject in the second sem, a subtracted 1 from 5 will do for both classes).
3. And, if a person has another class shared with him on another school year, the subtracted will increment by 1, and so on for another school year. The highest possible subtracted number therefore will be 4, and the range of the final resulting number is [1,5].

So... start remembering that face above now and maybe you'll realize you have more to brag about in the dining table!


Mine is 1. Calculate yours!

Conjecture: Persons with Joaquin number of 2 are lonely persons.