Poll: Solve a simple math problem

[Keava]

Problem is poorly notated. Invalid.

No. People have poor reading skills.

It's not even reading skill problem.. it's actually if they read it aloud and added the parenthesis in their mind where there is none. It's very common with any form of multiplication, you would put *10 at the end and they would still multiply the whole sum by 10 rather than just last number.

 

[MoNKeyYy]

Lol I'm an idiot. I answered zero then I was like awww wait a second, order of operations. D'oh well.

 

[Lukeje]

Well i'm not sure but my maths text book says 1/0 is infinity so no ofense but i'll trust that over you.

Are you sure it doesn't just say that the limit of 1/x as x->0 is infinity? Infinity is a tricky concept...

Pretty sure as some questions in the book required you to use 'infinity = 1/0' in order to get to the correct answer.

Example please?

 

[madwarper]

Problem is poorly notated. Invalid.

No. People have poor reading skills.

It's not even reading skill problem.. it's actually if they read it aloud and added the parenthesis in their mind where there is none.

Reading things that aren't there is still a problem with reading.

Spoiler: Non Sequitur

There was a similar issue with the MtG cards with a mechanic known as the "punisher".

People read the card and mentally inserted commas where there were none. They had thought that the players needed to have a physical copy of the Card of their own, else they'd take damage and the targeted player would draw the cards.

 

[Rad Party God]

My head... it hurts.

 

[Wintermoot]

13
13-0=13
just ignore my previous comment

 

[madwarper]

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

It's basically, this: 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1=15

1*0 =/= 1. Answer =/= 15.

13
13-0=13
just ignore my previous comment

Since when does 10 - 1 + 5 + 0 = 13?

 

[Wintermoot]

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

It's basically, this: 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1=15

1*0 =/= 1. Answer =/= 15.

13
13-0=13
just ignore my previous comment

Since when does 10 - 1 + 5 + 0 = 13?

the * is a multiplication symbol

 

[Lukeje]

Problem is poorly notated. Invalid.

No. People have poor reading skills.

It's not even reading skill problem.. it's actually if they read it aloud and added the parenthesis in their mind where there is none.

Reading things that aren't there is still a problem with reading.

It's not necessarily a problem with reading. It's also likely a problem with people being unfamiliar with the conventions of mathematical notation.

Why don't you try thinking about why so many people are falling for the `bait'? There are two general reasons.

1) Why does multiplication take precedence over addition and subtraction? It's a convention, and if people are unfamiliar with it then no matter how well they've read it they are likely to get the wrong answer. This is a problem with reading comprehension, not with reading.

2) People are expecting a trick question. If all they remember from maths class is that `everything multiplied by 0 is 0!' then they think that that is the trick to this trick question. These people may not have read the equation correctly and just jumped to the end. But even if they did read it well they may still think the same thing.

 

[madwarper]

13
13-0=13
just ignore my previous comment

Since when does 10 - 1 + 5 + 0 = 13?

the * is a multiplication symbol

Correct. That doesn't change the fact that '13' is a wrong answer.

 

[Xealeon]

Is it odd that my first thought when I see/hear the phrase "Solve a simple _____ problem" is "I wonder what the trick will be?"

OT: 14, but that tricky little minus sign in there makes an answer of 16 explainable, at least. Wrong, but explainable.

 

[Linda Bridget]

I'm sticking to the answer being 0 because what I do for a living does not call for math like this

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Something here is being multiplied by zero, which is equal to dividing by zero. Answer is zero.

Captcha = omptitio Chân

 

[Pharsalus]

Gah i miscounted and put 15, that tricky -1

 

[myoukurina]

"*" means times -.-

 

[madwarper]

Something here is being multiplied by zero, which is equal to dividing by zero. Answer is zero.

First, your tidbit about multiplying by zero may be correct, but your answer is still wrong.

Secondly, and more importantly, anything divided by 0 is undefined, it's NOT 0.

 

[Firetaffer]

13
13-0=13
just ignore my previous comment

Since when does 10 - 1 + 5 + 0 = 13?

the * is a multiplication symbol

Correct. That doesn't change the fact that '13' is a wrong answer.

Correct. That doesn't change the fact that his mistake was not on the multiplication side, just the fact that he missed the minus.

Edit: Well damn I missed the minus myself, just ignore my quote :3

 

[Johnnyallstar]

the solution is X=N-1 where N is the number of 1s. Only one of the 1s is cancelled by the zero, as per normal rules of mathematical order.

I like that answer. Except that there was a -1 hidden amongst all those ones. So it'd be N-3. N-2 positive ones minus one.

Ah, I see. I'm ADD and slightly dyslexic, so it's really hard for me to keep focus while counting all those ones.

It's like... 1,2,3,4, hey I have a chaco taco in the fridge, 8, 9... waaaiiiiiit....

So with that, then yes, N-2

 

[Johnny Impact]

Are this many of us really getting this wrong? Please tell me you're pulling my leg.

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?

Order of Operations: PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition & Subtraction)

There are no parentheses or exponents so multiplication is performed first. There is one operation, 1*0=0. This gives us

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+0=?

There is no division. All that remain are addition and subtraction. These are performed in a straight line, start to finish. You do not in fact "do all the addition and then all the subtraction." You would only do this if the expression were (1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+0)=?

But there aren't any parentheses. On their own, addition and subtraction have equal weight. Our sum goes like this as we move down the line: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,10,11,12,13,14,14.

Our answer is 14.

.........Rereading some responses I take it OP originally had 1/0 where he now has 1*0? That would explain some of the confusion. 1/0 can be thought of in several different ways depending on the system of math being used or the programming of your calculator. In ordinary arithmetic it has no meaning. That would make 14+1/0 the simplest expression and the closest you could come to an answer.

 

[madwarper]

Spoiler

Problem is poorly notated. Invalid.

No. People have poor reading skills.

It's not even reading skill problem.. it's actually if they read it aloud and added the parenthesis in their mind where there is none.

Reading things that aren't there is still a problem with reading.

It's not necessarily a problem with reading. It's also likely a problem with people being unfamiliar with the conventions of mathematical notation.

Why don't you try thinking about why so many people are falling for the `bait'? There are two general reasons.

1) Why does multiplication take precedence over addition and subtraction? It's a convention, and if people are unfamiliar with it then no matter how well they've read it they are likely to get the wrong answer. This is a problem with reading comprehension, not with reading.

2) People are expecting a trick question. If all they remember from maths class is that `everything multiplied by 0 is 0!' then they think that that is the trick to this trick question. These people may not have read the equation correctly and just jumped to the end. But even if they did read it well they may still think the same thing.

Ok, I'll agree with you on #1. I should have said comprehension of reading mathematical equations.

And, on #2, I think that possibility frightens me a little. How more people are using the lessons taught to them as a means to pass a test, rather than acquiring lasting knowledge. But, that is more about a tangential topic and not about mathematics.

Spoiler

the solution is X=N-1 where N is the number of 1s. Only one of the 1s is cancelled by the zero, as per normal rules of mathematical order.

I like that answer. Except that there was a -1 hidden amongst all those ones. So it'd be N-3. N-2 positive ones minus one.

Ah, I see. I'm ADD and slightly dyslexic, so it's really hard for me to keep focus while counting all those ones.

It's like... 1,2,3,4, hey I have a chaco taco in the fridge, 8, 9... waaaiiiiiit....

So with that, then yes, N-2

No, it's N-2 -1, or N -3.

The -1 comes from the "+1*0", the -2 comes from the "-1".
ie. 4+1 = 5; 4-1 = 3. The difference between 4+1 and 4-1 = 2.