#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define rep(i,n) for (int i = (0); i < (n); ++i)
#define rrep(i,n) for(int i = 1; i <= (n); ++i)
#define drep(i,n) for(int i = (n)-1; i >= 0; --i)
#define srep(i,s,t) for (int i = s; i < t; ++i)
#define all(x) (x).begin(),(x).end()
#define rall(x) (x).rbegin(),(x).rend()
#define limit(x,l,r) max(l,min(x,r))
#define lims(x,l,r) (x = max(l,min(x,r)))
#define isin(x,l,r) ((l) <= (x) && (x) < (r))
#define show(x) cout << #x << " = " << (x) << endl
#define show2(x,y) cout << #x << " = " << (x) << ", " << #y << " = " << (y) << endl
#define show3(x,y,z) cout << #x << " = " << (x) << ", " << #y << " = " << (y) <<  ", " << #z << " = " << (z) << endl
#define showv(v) rep(i,v.size()) printf("%d%c", v[i], i==v.size()-1?'\n':' ')
#define showv2(v) rep(j,v.size()) showv(v[j])
#define showt(t,n) rep(i,n) printf("%d%c", t[i], i==n-1?'\n':' ')
#define showt2(t,r,c) rep(j,r) showt(t[j],c)
#define showvp(p) rep(i,p.size()) printf("%d %d\n", p[i].first, p[i].second)
#define printv(v) rep(i,v.size()) printf("%d\n", v[i])
#define printt(t,n) rep(i,n) printf("%d\n", t[i])
#define incl(v,x) (find(all(v),x)!=v.end())
#define incls(s,c) (s.find(c)!=string::npos)
#define lb(a,x) distance((a).begin(),lower_bound(all(a),(x)))
#define ub(a,x) distance((a).begin(),upper_bound(all(a),(x)))
#define fi first
#define se second
#define pb push_back
#define eb emplace_back
#define sz(x) (int)(x).size()
#define pcnt __builtin_popcountll
#define bit(n,k) ((n>>k)&1) // nのk bit目
#define bn(x) ((1<<x)-1)
#define dup(x,y) (((x)+(y)-1)/(y))
#define newline puts("")
#define uni(x) x.erase(unique(all(x)),x.end())
#define SP << " " <<
using namespace std;
using ll = long long;
using ld = long double;
using vi = vector<int>;
using vvi = vector<vi>;
using vl = vector<ll>;
using vvl = vector<vl>;
using vc = vector<char>;
using vvc = vector<vc>;
using vs = vector<string>;
using vb = vector<bool>;
using vvb = vector<vb>;
using P = pair<int, int>;
using T = tuple<int, int, int>;
using vp = vector<P>;
using vt = vector<T>;
const int mod = 1000000007;
const double EPS = 1e-9;
//const long double EPS = 1e-14;
const int INF = (1<<30)-1;
const ll LINF = (1LL<<62)-1;
#define dame { puts("No"); return 0;}
#define yn {puts("Yes");}else{puts("No");}
#define YN {puts("YES");}else{puts("NO");}
inline int in() { int x; cin >> x; return x;}
inline ll lin() { ll x; cin >> x; return x;}
inline char chin() { char x; cin >> x; return x;}
inline string stin() { string x; cin >> x; return x;}
inline double din() { double x; cin >> x; return x;}
//template<class T = int> inline T in() { T x; cin >> x; return (x);}
template<typename T>inline ll suma(const vector<T>& a) { ll res(0); for (auto&& x : a) res += x; return res;}
template<class T> inline bool chmax(T& a, T b) { if (a < b) { a = b; return true; } return false; }
template<class T> inline bool chmin(T& a, T b) { if (a > b) { a = b; return true; } return false; }
char itoa(int n) { return n + '0';}
ll gcd(ll a, ll b) { return b?gcd(b,a%b):a;}
ll lcm(ll a, ll b) { return a/gcd(a,b)*b;}
const int dy[4] = {0, -1,  0,  1};
const int dx[4] = {1,  0, -1,  0};

int main () {
  string s;
  cin >> s;
  bool f0 = true;
  rep(i,s.size()) {
    if (s[i] != s[0]) {
      f0 = false;
    }
  }
  if (f0) {
    cout << 0 << endl;
    return 0;
  }
  int ans = INF;
  for (char c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; ++c) {
    string sc = s;
    int cnt = 0;
    while (true) {
      string t;
      rep(i,sc.size()-1) {
        if (sc[i] == c || sc[i+1] == c) {
          t.pb(c);
        }
        else {
          t.pb(sc[i]);
        }
      }
      cnt++;
      bool ok = true;
      rep(i,t.size()) {
        if (t[i] != c) ok = false;
      }
      if (ok) {
        chmin(ans, cnt);
        break;
      }
      sc = t;
    }
  }
  cout << ans << endl;
  return 0;
}

Measured memory_bytes: 3624