Poll: Solve a simple math problem

[careful]

0=1-1
0=1-1+1-1
0=1-1+1-1+1-1
0=1-1+1-1+1-1+.....
0=1+(-1+1)+(-1+1)+....
0=1+0+0+0+...
0=1

 

[GundamSentinel]

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0

1*0=0

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1=14

14+0=14

What's the fuss?

 

[Rednog]

Doesn't dividing by 0 make part of the equation a non real number thus making it impossible to solve?

 

[TheTechnomancer]

Everyone who didn't get 14 should ask to get their elementary school fees back. Though I suppose you can miss the minus sign, so 16 wouldn't have been such a bad answer.

But you have to do all the addition before you do subtraction so the question cancels down to 10-6 which is 4.

 

[PeePantz]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Yes, he understands. However, your order of operations are wrong.

P.S. - The answer is 14, not 4.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

So a couple weeks ago I bumped into this math "problem":
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1/0=?

The answer is pretty simple, I got it on my first try. But a lot of my friends and classmates couldn't solve it right away; and most of them are college students which is really sad. This is stuff you should study in middle school. Take a stab at it!

Spoiler: Need a hint?

P

Spoiler

(Parentheses)

E

Spoiler

Exponentials*

M

Spoiler

Multiplication x

D

Spoiler

Division /

A

Spoiler

Addition +

S

Spoiler

Subtraction -

You kinda messed up a bit there. 1/0 means nothing really. Other than that if it is meant to be 1*0 then it is 14. This is not a simple Math problem it is simply a dirty trick to try catch people out.

No, no. I just I just fucked up when typing it; it is 14.

 

[Necator15]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Then you did it wrong. the - 1 is just subtracting one from the total. It doesn't mean subtract the other half of the equation. The brackets would have to be a part of the original problem to imply that.
The best way to write this would probably be.

(1*0) + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 14
(Addition is commutative, so re-arranging the equation is entirely permitted)

 

[TheTechnomancer]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

*slaps* X/0 IS UNDEFINED!

The (new) answer is 14.

One of the deffinitions of infinity is 1/0 so in this case i'm right.

 

[careful]

im assuming by 1 and 0 you mean the familiar real integers, and by +,-,X are the usual algebraic operations on those integers. there are perfectly consistent number systems where 1+1=0.

 

[Stoic raptor]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Not quite the order of operations. Addition is not strictly done before subtraction, you do either depending on what comes first in the equation, making the answer to this 14.

Multiplication and division work the same way. But not the parenthesis and exponents.

 

[mgold07]

It's 14, I put 0 cause I'm a tard and my brain auto substituted, thought you were trying to be clever -.-

 

[Ryu-Kage]

The OP meant to make the last sign before = an X. So, there are no parentheses in this problem, meaning that if you add all those up and watch for the -, then [ANSWER WITHHELD].

 

[TheTechnomancer]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Then you did it wrong. the - 1 is just subtracting one from the total. It doesn't mean subtract the other half of the equation. The brackets would have to be a part of the original problem to imply that.
The best way to write this would probably be.

(1*0) + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 14
(Addition is commutative, so re-arranging the equation is entirely permitted)

I agree that -1 is just subtracting one from the total, but what we're taught in school is that the order of operations is that you do addition then subtraction. So taking this to the logical conclusion would lead to the answer being 4. I don't like it but thats what we're taught.

 

[Zakarath]

It know it if I cared enough to count all the 1s... seriously, why couldn't you just have written something like 2+2*0 instead?

 

[thethingthatlurks]

And they called me mad when I called for the culling of all mathematically ignorant people on earth. MAD?! NO! All who answered anything but 14 must be purged!

Seriously, has the education system become so shitty that you guys can't even figure something as trivial as this problem out? Or are you just trying to troll?
/bitter guy with math degree

 

[Necator15]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Then you did it wrong. the - 1 is just subtracting one from the total. It doesn't mean subtract the other half of the equation. The brackets would have to be a part of the original problem to imply that.
The best way to write this would probably be.

(1*0) + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 14
(Addition is commutative, so re-arranging the equation is entirely permitted)

I agree that -1 is just subtracting one from the total, but what we're taught in school is that the order of operations is that you do addition then subtraction. So taking this to the logical conclusion would lead to the answer being 4. I don't like it but thats what we're taught.

They are teaching you very wrongly then :/
This is actually an issue with teaching students with the acronym PEDMAS or PEMDAS or whichever you learn. It doesn't clarify that addition and subtraction take the same precedence because they're inverse operations of each other. Same with multiplication and division.
I tutor math in school and this is an annoying habit to break people of.

 

[Dumbfish1]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

I don't understand, you added the brackets in yourself...

 

[TheTechnomancer]

The answer is minus infinity.
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1/0))
=10-(6+infinity)
=10-infinity
=-infinity
If the end was 1*0= then the answer would be 4 as adding brackets the sum equates to
(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0))
=10-(6+0)
=4

...
...
...
...whut

I just added brackets to show the order of operations. Also i refuse to use x as a multiplication symbol on a computer as this just confuses it with algebra.

Not quite the order of operations. Addition is not strictly done before subtraction, you do either depending on what comes first in the equation, making the answer to this 14.

Multiplication and division work the same way. But not the parenthesis and exponents.

This makes a lot more sense but wasn't what I was taught. We all learnt it as a strict order that is always done that way. For the past few years I've just ignored what we learn't but when I saw the question I asumed it was about BIDMAS and tried to use it. I admit that I was wrong.

 

[madwarper]

I agree that -1 is just subtracting one from the total, but what we're taught in school is that the order of operations is that you do addition then subtraction. So taking this to the logical conclusion would lead to the answer being 4. I don't like it but thats what we're taught.

I don't know what you were taught... But, it was either wrong or your interpreted it wrong.

In PEMDAS, Multiplication/Division or Addition/Subtraction are the same thing.
There is no higher priority of one over another, thus after the last 1 was multiplied by 0, you simply solved from left to right.

Adding brackets around all the additions, was Wrong.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[rutger5000]

Everyone who didn't get 14 should ask to get their elementary school fees back. Though I suppose you can miss the minus sign, so 16 wouldn't have been such a bad answer.

But you have to do all the addition before you do subtraction so the question cancels down to 10-6 which is 4.

No you don't. Sorry I can't offer you more explination, but you're just wrong. I'm always open to the notion that I'm wrong (even when I'm 100% sure I'm right) so I checked with Wolfram Mathematica (a program used at universities for mathematics and physics) and they also agreed with me. It would have been different if he had used brackets. I can see how you got that misconception you probably know: First brackets, then powers, then roots, then multiplying, then adding, then substracting. But this is wrong it's: First brackets, then powers and roots, then multiplying and dividing, then adding and substracting. Powers and roots, dividing and multipliyng, substracting and adding are basically all the same opperations. (Don't worry if you don't understand that last sentence, that's only important if you use math a lot).
I stick with the notion that you should ask to get your elementary school fees refunded. Your teachers drastically failed at their obligation to educate you.
I've been tutoring children for free (their parents simpely can't afford a decent tutor) for almost two years now. And I keep seeing this gross neglect some children suffer from. Part of a teachers job is to check on their pupils progress. He/She should have seen your mistakes and thaught you how to do it correctly.