Can YOU solve it?

[Liberal_in_LA]

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205775670504946&set=a.3886338930910.126365.1652018492&type=3&theater

[NightWatcher]

1. I think I got it

[OnDoutside]

2. Yes, see in here

Horse = 10
Hshoe = 4
Boot = 2

Boot + Horse x Hshoe = ??

BOMDAS precedence

Boot + (Horse x Hshoe) = ??

2 + (10 x 4) = 42

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. No

[OnDoutside]

4. I'm all ears ... please explain

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Look at formula again

[OnDoutside]

10. Ah, 41

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. No

[TreasonousBastard]

18. Why not? Why would 48 be a better answer?

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. No

[TreasonousBastard]

24. Never mind-- one boot one shoe... Aargh!

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. ...

[jberryhill]

76. One boot has no value

Of what value is one boot?

[pintobean]

85. If it's raining, or snowing...

[jberryhill]

86. No, then you get bread bags

[pintobean]

87. Won't they melt from the fire?

[jberryhill]

125. Ask Joni Ernst

If you can't get out of the house fast enough with the bread bags on, then there's just no hope.

[baldguy]

91. Ah, the HHGG answer.

[randome]

5. 1 + 10 x 4 = 44.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. No

[randome]

20. Different calculators use different orders of precedence.

If it's 1 + (10 * 4), then 41?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. No

[TheBlackAdder]

103. PEMDAS = Paren, Exponent, Mult, Div, Add, Sub. 1 + 10 X 2 = 21. Same as 1 + (10 x 2) = 21.

.


Dang. Horseshoes are 2.


.

[kentuck]

116. That does bring back the nightmares of freshman algebra.

[TheBlackAdder]

132. Sorry for that!

[pinboy3niner]

8. 22?

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. No

[pinboy3niner]

51. Ah! 1 + (10 x 2) = 21 :)

[Liberal_in_LA]

109. ..

[pintobean]

9. 21

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. ..

[lumberjack_jeff]

147. Agree.

But in fairness, I didn't get it right until I read this thread.

[The King of Prussia]

11. If it's not 21 I'd like to know why.

21

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. ..

[yesphan]

13. 21

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. ...

[Dale Neiburg]

15. Total is 22

Horse = 10
One horseshoe = 2
One boot=1.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. No..but close

[magicnpoetry]

127. Yup

[Donkees]

23. 22

[Liberal_in_LA]

26. No

[MicaelS]

25. 48 ....edit

Now I see it's 21.

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. ..

[Deuce]

30. 21...

[Liberal_in_LA]

34. ..

[11 Bravo]

31. 11? (If I remember my order of operations correctly.)

[Liberal_in_LA]

37. No

[11 Bravo]

40. I edited my response. Is 11 correct?

[B2G]

33. 48

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. No

[mcar]

36. 22

[Liberal_in_LA]

38. No

[mcar]

39. I just corrected

Is 22 right?

[Buzz Clik]

44. Remember the sequencing of math operators

multiplication takes precedence over addition; that is, do the multiplication first.

[mcar]

47. I forgot that - math class was a long time ago!

So we've got 21 then.

[Buzz Clik]

49. !

[mcar]

50. My math teacher SO will be so proud!

[Maeve]

148. God...now I hear my algebra teacher's voice!

My Dear Aunt Sally--multiply, divide, add, subtract! I've spent 40 years forgetting that voice....

[Buzz Clik]

153. ..

[Maeve]

159. That's her! eom

[Liberal_in_LA]

45. Look at formula very carefully

[landolfi]

41. 11

What do I win?

[landolfi]

43. Never mind, see this was attempted already.

[TDale313]

42. 13? n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

46. No

[TDale313]

59. Oh, I see it now. 21.

[Grassy Knoll]

48. 0 U 8 1 2

*21*

[OilemFirchen]

52. Why are horseshoes worth more than boots?

Is the horse alive?

Useless without context.

[pintobean]

60. They carry more weight.

[brooklynite]

53. Answer: 20

Horse=10
Horseshoe=2
Boots=0
0+10=10
10*2=2 (absent parentheses, the multiplier applies to the prior number which is a function of the sum)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

130. Horse = 10, Horseshoe = 4, Boot = 2

H + H + H + = 30
= 3H = 30
= 30 / 3
H = 10

H + S + S = 18
= 10 + S + S
= 10 + 2S
= 2S = 18 - 10
= 2S = 8
= 8 / 2
S = 4

S - B = 2
= 4 - B = 2
B = 4 - 2
B = 2

2 + 10 x 4 =
= 2 + (10 x 4) = (order of operations PEMDAS)
= 2 + 40
= 42

[DrDan]

54. 10, 2 and 1 so 21

[ArtD48]

55. Easy (42)

Line 1 tells us "Horse + Horse + Horse = 30" so Horse = 10

Line 2 says "10 + Horseshoe + Horseshoe = 18" so Horseshoe = 4

Line 3 says "Horseshoe - Boot = 2" so Boot = 2

So line 4 becomes "2 + 10 * 4"

You multiply before you add so the answer is 42

[LeftofObama]

61. That's EXACTLY how I see it: 42

[bigbrother05]

62. pair horseshoes = 4: pair boots = 2

one boot + one horse X one horseshoe = 1 + 10 X 2 = 21

missed that it's half of the pair in the final equation

[GummyBearz]

65. Horseshoe = 2, boot = 1

That will fix your problems.

Line 4 is "1 + (10 * 2)" = 21

[jberryhill]

83. If "boot = 1" and "Horseshoe = 2" then BootBoot equals one

Adjacent symbols is multiplication, not addition.

Author of the problem does not understand how math works.

For BootBoot to equal 2, then Boot = sqrt(2)

[GummyBearz]

90. Sorry

I think we agree from line 1 a horse is 10

In line 2, there are 4 horseshoes, in 2 groups of 2. 10 + (2+2) + (2+2) = 18

In line 3, there are 2 horseshoes in 1 group of 2 being substracted by 2 boots. (2+2) - (1+1) = 2

Therefore, boots = 1, horseshoes = 2.

Line four shows 1 boot and 1 horseshoe. Not 2 of each

on edit. If i have 2 apples in my hand, it is 1+1. Yes they are adjacent to eachother, but they don't multiply...

[jberryhill]

92. Adjacent symbols implies multiplication, not addition

XY is not &quot X+Y)", it is (X * Y).

Let's say "U" is a horseshoe, and it has a value of N

UU is not "N+N"

The overall problem suggests, since the symbols appear as either two adjacent ones, or a single one, that the individual symbols have value.

So if two horseshoes equals two, i.e. UU = 2

Then the value of U, standing alone, is 1.7071068.... the square root of two.

[GummyBearz]

94. You are confusing the abstract with reality

In your world, if you had 2 horseshoes in a hand, and then put them in separate hands, you would have sqrt(2) horseshoe in each hand. Interesting world to live in, but not the real one.

[jberryhill]

98. Those are symbols, not horseshoes

You have fallen victim to the treachery of images:



And in your world, what is one boot worth?

[GummyBearz]

105. 1

Better than none but half as good as 2. Next time you buy 2 apples pay the cashier 2*sqrt(2)*cost per Apple. They can use the extra $

[jberryhill]

106. Next time I am buying apples, I will buy actual apples, and not poor drawings of them

You are confusing a symbol of a thing with the thing itself.

Let me back up a moment.

Is this an apple:

[Orrex]

112. This is not a pipe

[GummyBearz]

119. Put 2 of them next to eachother and tell me how many apples you have

[jberryhill]

123. If the image of the apple is intended to signify, say, 4

Then you either have 8, 16, or 44, depending on the rules by which you are translating the drawings, into symbols, and then to numbers.

How much is this horse worth:

[LAGC]

133. I knew someone was going to do this in this thread.

[lumberjack_jeff]

146. What would BootBootBoot equal?

Two boots is Boot+Boot in much the same way that a dozen eggs doesn't equal 1^12 eggs.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

56. 42

[unblock]

57. undefined.

i know the answer is meant to be 21, but that requires some assumptions.

strictly speaking, the final question involves symbols that are not defined.

[jberryhill]

80. And, apparently, two symbols adjacent is supposed to imply addition instead of multiplication

Because, oh, no reason.

[unblock]

81. put the symbol '1' next to itself and you get, uh, eleven.

one horseshoe could mean anything.

[jberryhill]

84. yes, but Boot = Sqrt(2)

You are going to tell me that BootBoot = 2, and Boot does not then equal the square root of two?

[unblock]

88. could also be negative sqrt(2)

could be anything, in fact.

[jberryhill]

89. How about a quarterhorse?

[unblock]

93. mind. blown.

[kentuck]

118. Damn!

Now we're getting into geometry.

[jberryhill]

58. The problem is under-determined

A pair of boots is valued at 2.

The last line has a single boot.

If the idea is that you are supposed to assume that "one boot" = 1, then that is an unsupported assumption.

You might just as well assume that a single boot is worthless.

Is "half a horse" worth 5? No, half a horse is a lifeless carcass.

Likewise, a broken horseshoe would be worthless.

As worthless as a single boot.

[pintobean]

64. How does one multiply a horse by a horseshoe?

Logic should indicate that once direct representation of the images doesn't apply, they must be symbols.

[randome]

66. Oh, come on! Wear the boot on one foot and the horseshoe on the other!

Get off your high horse! No...wait, I mean...ahhh!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[Dr. Strange]

70. Well...

Is "half a horse" worth 5? No, half a horse is a lifeless carcass.

Now you're just beating a dead horse.

[aikoaiko]

63. If the answer to the last equation is 21, isn't there a problem with the equation above it?

If horse = 10, horseshoehorseshoe = 4, and bootboot = 2, but then boot (1) + ( horse (10) x horseshoe (2) = 21, doesn't that violate the mathematical standard of two numbers next to each other without an operator implying multiplication in the equations with bootboot?

[eppur_se_muova]

67. Presumably, these are functioning as "tallies", like most early numeration systems used ...

think of Roman numerals: IIII = four

There are a few assumptions in the presentation of this problem, as others have pointed out.

[jberryhill]

78. Correct, but that is not obvious from the presentation of the problem

XY is X * Y, not X + Y. Oh, we aren't supposed to use Algebraic rules, we are supposed to be Ancient Romans now?

The assumption that one boot has half the value of two boots is not at all obvious. Who wants one boot?

This is a situation I personally ran into with my own kid.

The teacher kept marking him wrong for problems like this:

"Amy has three cookies. Bill has four cookies. If Amy gives you one and a half cookies, and Bill gives you two and a half cookies, how many cookies do you have?"

My kids answer was "Three cookies and two half cookies."

Because, WTF? If I give you two half cookies, you do not have one cookie. Are you supposed to glue the two halves back together and call it a cookie?

Under-determined math problems with "oh yeah, well, you are supposed to assume..." drive me bananas.

You give someone a choice between a whole, undamaged cookie, and two broken half cookies, and see which one they want.

[3catwoman3]

160. Your kid is...

...very smart, obviously. I am impressed.

[Codeine]

68. Dammit. Tricksy visual. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

69. 21

shoe=1
horse=10
horseshoe=2 (not = horse*shoe, which seems an awkward choice of notation)

Multiplication takes precedence over addition, so 1 + (10 x 2) = 21

[DawgHouse]

71. 21

[jack_krass]

72. 42

Horse=10
Horseshoe=4
Boot=2
2+(10*4)=42

[closeupready]

74. +1 that's what I got.

[marle35]

79. Me too

I wish someone would explain how they're getting 21.

[Liberal_in_LA]

108. look at the boots, look at the horseshoes. How many do you see in each equation.

[TexasBushwhacker]

73. 21

Good old "order of operations".

[Person 2713]

75. 42 or maybe 48 oops now just saw the double horse shoe

so I am wrong on my guess
No I do not use much math in daily work

[tonyt53]

77. Eleventy-seven. Everybody knows that.

[rock]

82. 97?

[Coyotl]

95. No value stated for the symbol of one horseshoe. No solution without an assumption.

[DrDan]

96. if you know the value of 4 horseshoes, then you know the value of one horseshoe

[earthshine]

97. This is algebra. Nothing more.

Substitute familiar symbols like X, Y, Z for horses and shoes.

[jberryhill]

101. Okay, so what, in your mind does "XX" mean?

Does it mean X+X or X*X?

If you are saying "substitute symbols", then:

If U = 1, do you mean UU=1 or UU = 11 or UU = 2?

Because if we are using normal algebraic rules, UU = 1 for U = 1.

[Egnever]

107. Agreed this stands common practice on it's head

that said the xx-yy=2 line makes the addition seem implicit because it doesn't really work otherwise.

I would never read it any other way than you did. The pictures changing threw me though as I didn't notice that.

[pintobean]

121. XXX = Trojan horse, so XX means

[earthshine]

124. You make good points. It's not simple algebra, but some bastardization. nt

[Coyotl]

144. I teach college algebra.

You assume nothing when doing algebra and we don't use horseshoes.

[earthshine]

156. All formal logic system have both implicit and explicit assumptions.

In this case, one assumption is the tautology that one horseshoe is equal to another horseshoe (a=a), even if in a different equation in the system.

The purpose of algebra, or symbolic logic for that matter, is to reduce things with human-ascribed meaning to a set of symbols that can be manipulated based on a consistent set of rules.

The use of any particular symbols like X and Y to represent variables is not set in stone. The symbols can be anything.

QED

[Egnever]

99. ok not easy

44
wups not so easy forgot order of operations. 42

Hah also did not notice only one horse shoe on last line.

So in that case it becomes 22

last edit and now noticing one boot instead of two the images are tricky

That said I would go with 21 only because it does not work any other way. However I agree with Jberry when he said xx implies multiplication not addition.

That said the xx-yy= 2 makes the addition implicit since it doesn't work otherwise if x = 2. Poorly designed question IMHO and relies on manipulation of standard practices to achieve it's goal.

[jberryhill]

100. It means "If you kick a horse in the ass, you are getting a horseshoe in your face"

[LAGC]

134. That would be the only safe assumption here.

[jberryhill]

135. Although, some migh argue that you can kick a horse, or you can kick an ass

But since a horse is not an ass, then you cannot kick a horse in the ass unless it is a mule.

[LAGC]

137. ...

[TheBlackAdder]

102. 1 + 10 x 2 = 21. Multiplication before addition. (Shoe=1, Horse=10, Horseshoe=2)

.


Dang. Horseshoes are 2.

.

[lame54]

104. 42...

on edit

did the order of operation wrong

[Liberal_in_LA]

110. nope

[lame54]

111. Yes...

a horse equals 10

a horse-shoe equals 4

a boot equals 2

4x10+2 =42

[Shrike47]

113. Nope. 1 horse shoe does not equal 2 horse shoes. 1 boot does not equal 2 boots.

One boot is half of 2 boots, etc.l

This problem demands assumptions.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

114. 21 - I was ready to solve simultaneous equations, but quickly realised no need to

Easy peasy solved in the head.

[lame54]

115. Ok - you got me - 21 - details details

[Waldorf]

117. 42. n/t

edit: 21. Thought I was smart but didn't pay attention to only one boot and horseshoe.

[Xyzse]

120. It's the answer to life, the universe and everything! 42

H+H+H = 30 (H=10)
H(10)+HS+HS = 18 : HS+HS = 8 : (HS = 4)
HS(4) - B = 2 :: (B = 2)

B(2) + H(10) x HS(4)
B(2) + 40 = 42

Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything!

[msanthrope]

122. 21. nt

[stopbush]

126. Who cares?

[ret5hd]

129. Says the person that took the time to type "Who cares?"...

rather than type "21".

[jberryhill]

136. The person was not expressing a lack of caring, but canvassing for people who do

[martin mike]

128. the dress is black and blue

or blue and black, take your pick.

[Tikki]

131. 40

Tikki

[marle35]

138. It's 42.

No one getting a different number has yet explained (in detail) their method. I remain confused by this thread.

Response #120 explains why it's 42.

[Liberal_in_LA]

140. look at all 4 formulas carefully. Line 3 has 1 boot rather than 2. line 4 has one horse shoe

[GreenEyedLefty]

139. 42

[Liberal_in_LA]

142. solution

3 X horses = 30, horse = 10
Horse plus 2 X shoes = 18, implies 10 plus 2 X shoes = 18, implies shoes = 4
Shoes minus boots = 2 implies 4 – boots = 2, so boots = 2
If boots = 2, one boot = 1 < tricky step
If shoes = 4, one shoe = 2 < tricky step
So boot plus horse X shoe = 1 + 10 X 2 = 1 + (10 X 2) = 1 + 20 = 21

[KG]

141. 18

[rug]

143. 807!

[Coyotl]

145. There is no solution without defining the undefined symbols.

We have no clue regarding the value of two of the symbols in the bottom line. They could mean anything. Is one boot 1,000 or 1?

Basically, this is a really lame exercise.

[DCBob]

157. Correct. There is no value for 1 boot or 1 horseshoe so the last equation is unsolvable.

[lonestarnot]

149. Pile of horseshit?

[Liberal Veteran]

150. 12

[nolabels]

151. Something about smoking pot.

Four and twenty

[lamp_shade]

152. 22

[alittlelark]

154. I got 22....?

[WDIM]

155. 21

[DCBob]

158. Cannot be solved. There is no value given or implied for the single boot or horseshoe images.

Assuming the value is one for one boot because the two boot image is two is assuming too much. Same with the single horseshoe.

The other images we know values for dont work that way.

One horse is 10. Two horsehoes are 4. There is no numeric consistency implied or defined regarding the number of elements in an image.

[Liberal_in_LA]

162. Agreed but good algebra practice

[DCBob]

170. Yes. It would have been better to add this..

"Each element in each image represents a value and the values are unique by type of element."

That would have eliminated any ambiguity.

[baldguy]

161. 23

given:
horse + horse + horse = 30
horse + pair of horseshoes + pair of horseshoes = 18
pair of horseshoes - pair of boots = 2
boot + horse x horseshoe = ??

therefore:

horse + horse + horse = 30

3(horse) = 30
3(horse)/3 = 30/3

horse = 10


horse + pair of horseshoes + pair of horseshoes = 18
10 + 2(horseshoes) + 2(horseshoes) = 18
4(horseshoes) = 8
4(horseshoes)/4 = 8/4

horseshoe = 2


pair of horseshoes - pair of boots = 2
2(horseshoes) - 2(boots) = 2
2(2) - 2(boots) = 2
4 - 2(boots) = 2
- 2(boots) = - 6
2(boots) = 6
2(boots)/2 = 6/2

boot = 3


boot + horse x horseshoe = ??
boot + (horse x horseshoe) = ??

boot = 3
horse = 10
horseshoe = 2

3 + (10 x 2) = ??
3 + (20) = ??

23 = ??

[Liberal_in_LA]

164. Close

[BlueStateLib]

163. 21

horse = 10
2 horseshoe = 4
2 boots = 2

[Liberal_in_LA]

165. Yes

[Lady Freedom Returns]

166. 44?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

167. My dog barked 48 times. So that must be the answer.

But, I don't think my dog is much smarter than Trump, so there's that.

[VOX]

168. 21 for certain...

Horse = 10
Horseshoe pair = 4
Hotshot single = 2

Boot pair = 2
Boot single = 1

1 (Boot single) + 10 (Horse) X 2 (Horshoe single) = 21

[Stinky The Clown]

169. 44

[Adrahil]

171. Remember order of operations..... 21. NT