#include <cassert>
#include <cctype>
#include <cerrno>
#include <cfloat>
#include <ciso646>
#include <climits>
#include <clocale>
#include <cmath>
#include <csetjmp>
#include <csignal>
#include <cstdarg>
#include <cstddef>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cstring>
#include <ctime>
#include <cwchar>
#include <cwctype>
#include <ccomplex>
#include <cfenv>
#include <cinttypes>
#include <cstdbool>
#include <cstdint>
#include <ctgmath>
#include <algorithm>
#include <bitset>
#include <complex>
#include <deque>
#include <exception>
#include <fstream>
#include <functional>
#include <iomanip>
#include <ios>
#include <iosfwd>
#include <iostream>
#include <istream>
#include <iterator>
#include <limits>
#include <list>
#include <locale>
#include <map>
#include <memory>
#include <new>
#include <numeric>
#include <ostream>
#include <queue>
#include <set>
#include <sstream>
#include <stack>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <streambuf>
#include <string>
#include <typeinfo>
#include <utility>
#include <valarray>
#include <vector>
#include <array>
#include <atomic>
#include <chrono>
#include <codecvt>
#include <condition_variable>
#include <forward_list>
#include <future>
#include <initializer_list>
#include <mutex>
#include <random>
#include <ratio>
#include <regex>
#include <scoped_allocator>
#include <system_error>
#include <thread>
#include <tuple>
#include <typeindex>
#include <type_traits>
#include <unordered_map>
#include <unordered_set>
#define rep(i, n) for(ll i = 0; i < (ll)(n); i++)
#define rep2(i, n) for(int i = 1; i <= (int)(n); i++)
#define all(x) (x).begin(),(x).end()
#pragma GCC optimize("Ofast")
using namespace std;
typedef int64_t ll;
typedef long double ld;
const ll INF=pow(10,18);
const double inf=pow(10,10);
const ld pi=acosl(1);
const ll mod = 1000000007;
const int dx[4]={0,1,0,-1};
const int dy[4]={1,0,-1,0};
const int ddx[8]={1,0,-1,-1,-1,0,1,1};
const int ddy[8]={1,1,1,0,-1,-1,-1,0};

template< typename Monoid >
struct SegmentTree {
  using F = function< Monoid(Monoid, Monoid) >;

  int sz;
  vector< Monoid > seg;

  const F f;
  const Monoid M1;

  SegmentTree(int n, const F f, const Monoid &M1) : f(f), M1(M1) {
    sz = 1;
    while(sz < n) sz <<= 1;
    seg.assign(2 * sz, M1);
  }

  void set(int k, const Monoid &x) {
    seg[k + sz] = x;
  }

  void build() {
    for(int k = sz - 1; k > 0; k--) {
      seg[k] = f(seg[2 * k + 0], seg[2 * k + 1]);
    }
  }

  void update(int k, const Monoid &x) {
    k += sz;
    seg[k] = x;
    while(k >>= 1) {
      seg[k] = f(seg[2 * k + 0], seg[2 * k + 1]);
    }
  }

  Monoid query(int a, int b) {
    Monoid L = M1, R = M1;
    for(a += sz, b += sz; a < b; a >>= 1, b >>= 1) {
      if(a & 1) L = f(L, seg[a++]);
      if(b & 1) R = f(seg[--b], R);
    }
    return f(L, R);
  }

  Monoid operator[](const int &k) const {
    return seg[k + sz];
  }

  template< typename C >
  int find_subtree(int a, const C &check, Monoid &M, bool type) {
    while(a < sz) {
      Monoid nxt = type ? f(seg[2 * a + type], M) : f(M, seg[2 * a + type]);
      if(check(nxt)) a = 2 * a + type;
      else M = nxt, a = 2 * a + 1 - type;
    }
    return a - sz;
  }


  template< typename C >
  int find_first(int a, const C &check) {
    Monoid L = M1;
    if(a <= 0) {
      if(check(f(L, seg[1]))) return find_subtree(1, check, L, false);
      return -1;
    }
    int b = sz;
    for(a += sz, b += sz; a < b; a >>= 1, b >>= 1) {
      if(a & 1) {
        Monoid nxt = f(L, seg[a]);
        if(check(nxt)) return find_subtree(a, check, L, false);
        L = nxt;
        ++a;
      }
    }
    return -1;
  }

  template< typename C >
  int find_last(int b, const C &check) {
    Monoid R = M1;
    if(b >= sz) {
      if(check(f(seg[1], R))) return find_subtree(1, check, R, true);
      return -1;
    }
    int a = sz;
    for(b += sz; a < b; a >>= 1, b >>= 1) {
      if(b & 1) {
        Monoid nxt = f(seg[--b], R);
        if(check(nxt)) return find_subtree(b, check, R, true);
        R = nxt;
      }
    }
    return -1;
  }
};

void solve(){
  string s;cin>>s;
  ll ans=INF;
  rep(a,26){
    char c='a'+a;
    //cで全てかえる
    auto f = [](string x,char q){
      rep(i,x.size()){
        if(x[i]!=q)return false;
      }
      return true;
    };
    string t=s;
    ll count=0;
    while(!f(t,c)){
      count++;
      string u;
      rep(i,t.size()-1){
        if(t[i]==c || t[i+1]==c){
          u.push_back(c);
        }
        else u.push_back(t[i]);
      }
      t=u;
    }
    ans=min(ans,count);
  }
  cout<<ans<<endl;
}

signed main(){
    ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
    cin.tie(nullptr);
    cout<<fixed;
    cout<<setprecision(30);
    solve();
}

Measured memory_bytes: 256