• PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      It’s not solvable using traditional algebra.

      Typically you would try to get all of the variables on one side, and all of the numbers on the other.

      So in this instance, you’d start by moving them around to get things together:
      x+2 = x-2
      x+2-x = -2
      x-x = -2-2

      But then you simplify, and cancel out any variables that need to be cancelled. In this case we see “x-x” so that cancels out to 0. And we see -2-2 which simplifies into -4. So the end result is:

      0=-4

      Which is obviously a nonsense answer. In the original post, homeslice did the first step wrong, moved everything over to the left incorrectly, (inadvertently setting the whole equation equal to 0) and the whole thing was downhill from there; Since the first step of their solution was wrong, everything behind it was also wrong.

  • joranvar@feddit.nlEnglish
    0·
    2 years ago

    Would it be a rabbit hole to try and find any merit in this solution when interpreting it as: “if x is in a superposition of 2 and -2, the x + 2 = x - 2 would be true in 1/4 of the observations”, or something like that?

    It is the closest thing to a “solution” that I can imagine, but doesn’t fit any laws that I know of or understand, and would probably break down on any scrutiny, but it feels like something is there.

    • 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      Don’t overthink it, it’s made to be unsolvable on purpose, just to test how much math your average Joe knows.

      • joranvar@feddit.nlEnglish
        0·
        2 years ago

        Haha I got that :) @Urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone is right, I was halfheartedly looking for a logic system in which it could make sense. Still, I would have major issues with the first step as it is shown, but I am wondering about systems where, say, each x <- {..}, then what would be the set, and the probability of the correct solution.

        Something I need to be more awake for, and it may be easier to solve without resorting to powers and roots, haha.

        • joranvar@feddit.nlEnglish
          0·
          2 years ago

          Reply to self: really not that useful. That would be the same as just throwing all variables/coordinates of the solution in a set, forgetting their names and then filling them back in as some kind of madlibs experiment. And multiple solutions don’t grow with the exponent on x, that is just an odd/even thing. Don’t know shat I was thinking…