Viral Facebook math problem...

[mal3volent]

People like to argue about these things. Find multiple patterns, come up with different solutions.
I'm thinking for this one it might be as simple as: Even though some of these equations are written incorrectly, you go on and solve the problem at face value. 8+11 is indeed 19.

...But of course if you look for some kind of pattern and apply it. For example I added the sum of the first equation to the sum of the second equation to get the right number, then followed the process all the way down to get 96.

1+4=5
2+5=12
3+6=21
4+7=32
5+8=45
6+9=60
7+10=77
8+11=96

There's actually another pattern that will take you to 96 as well.

1 + (1x4)= 5
2 + (2x5)= 12
3 + (3x6)= 21
.
.
.
.
8 + (8x11)= 96

Is there some other, more definitive way of looking at this shit? Is there one true answer or does it depend on how you interpret it?

 

[sigmond]

1+4=5
2+5=12 (2 + 5 + 5 = 12)
3+6=21 (3 + 6 + 12 = 21)
4+7=32 ( so on...)
5+8=45
6+9=60
7+10=77
8+11=96

This is what i came up with, perhaps you are over thinking the problem.

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

my co-worker and i both saw a pattern instantly, but i saw it this way ...

1 + (1x4)= 5
2 + (2x5)= 12
3 + (3x6)= 21

and she saw it this way ...

1+4=5
2+5=12 (2 + 5 + 5 = 12)
3+6=21 (3 + 6 + 12 = 21)

another time we were doing some switch the triangle made of coins in a limited number of moves, and we both solved it differently too. interesting how people work things out differently.

 

[crzydiamond]

^pattern I saw instantly was your coworkers. Whereas the sum is the correct sum plus the sum above it.

But yes, it is odd how people see completely different patterns

 

[ArCi]

The answer is 40 right?

 

[MikeOekiM]

The answer is 40 right?

that's what i got.

 

[mal3volent]

The answer is 40 right?

It's 40 if you only go by what you see in the picture.

1+4=5
2+5=12
3+6=21
8+11+ 21 = 40

But to me it is implied that the pattern should be followed out completely to arrive at the correct answer

1+4=5
2+5 (+5)=12
3+6 (+12)=21
4+7 (+21)=32
5+8 (+32)=45
6+9 (+45)=60
7+10 (+60)=77
8+11 (+77)=96

 

[manboychef]

I look at it as the answer is 40. You are give only what you see in the picture. You are not asked to find a pattern.

 

[mal3volent]

I look at it as the answer is 40. You are give only what you see in the picture. You are not asked to find a pattern.

You must find a pattern, otherwise what you are looking at is just a series of incorrect equations and the only possible solution is 8 + 11 = 19.

Seeing the vertical 1, 2, 3...(4,5,6,7)...8 and 4, 5, 6...(7,8,9,10)...11
I don't know the proper mathematical vocabulary, but it just makes sense to flesh out the pattern.

 

[manboychef]

There is a pattern, but it is only asking you for a specific answer. You can get the pattern with the first two equations. It says nothing about filling in the rest.

Math is incredibly specific. There is only ever one right answer, and an infinite number of wrong answers. Math is based on using the information given, especially in this case. The answer would be different if they gave you other equations in there, but they have not. Math is something that is not open to interpretation the same way the humanities, politics, and literature are.

 

[Bagseed]

it's 40. you just have to add the solution from the previous equation to the following one.

and to manboychef: there are problems with more than one solution

 

[manboychef]

^^^true, but not in this type of math. This is a wysiwyg type of problem.

 

[sigmond]

They put problems like this on online IQ tests and more often than not the correct answer involves finding the pattern.

 

[manboychef]

The pattern is present in the first two problems. There is absolutely no need to add your own information to the problem.

 

[SS373dOH]

The answer is 19, the other problems just have the incorrect sums, the incorrect sums have a pattern, so if you followed the pattern of incorrectness, the sum would be 40, but you're supposed to tune out the other questions, and only answer 8+11..


- Hopeless 7nos

 

[FnX]

I would argue for 40 too because it's the simplest solution (pattern) that uses only numbers you are given and all you need to do is addition. If you start adding extra numbers, multiplying etc I believe you are changing the rules you are given to create a pattern of your own. It's like if there was a problem like this:

X = Y/Z
2X = Z
2Z = Y
2Y = ?

And you would answer 2Y = 42 or 2Y = A

Neither answer is strictly incorrect either. Looks like someone made a social experiment out of curiosity and posted it on social media. (I didn't bother to put much time in the example I provided, it's not meant to be solved just to prove a point, it makes very little sense anyway just like the original picture.)