Seems clear the question assumes you're generating code that actually increments the integer (i.e. repeating a single add instruction). An anecdote defending t

Seems clear the question assumes you're generating code that actually increments the integer (i.e. repeating a single add instruction). An anecdote defending the question on a non-technical level: when I was a kid around 4 or 5 my dad had me race a computer counting to 1000. It was one of the more memorable parts of my young childhood!