Math Memes

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Memes related to mathematics.

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Simplify (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

For those of you who were confused even after reading the comments: (a)(b) basically means a*b. My mind just didn't connect that to the fact that (x-x)=0. in the (a-x)(b-x) stuff is also (x-x) which = 0, and anything * 0 = 0, so no matter the value of literally everything else in the equation, it all equals out to 0 because every single () will get multiplied by (x-x), which is 0. There, hopefully that will clear it up for anyone remaining lost. And like all good jokes, they are always best when you have to explain them.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

(a)(b) basically means a*b

Ok, wtf. Why write it like this then?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

To make sure what's inside the brackets is resolved internally before they're multiplied with each other.

 (a)  (b)   =   a * b  
(a+1)(b+1) =/= a+1*b+1

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Even if the x-x term didn't exist, the equation is already simplified (fully factored) so there is nothing to do anyway.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

is already simplified (fully factored)

No it isn't, given one of the factors is equal to zero. That's like saying 2/4 is fully simplified when clearly it isn't. Students lose marks in tests for not simplifying their answers. Writing 2/4 as an answer would only get half-marks. Similarly, the only full-marks answer to this question is 0.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Fun fact, omitting the (x-x) zero term and expanding the entire polynomial, you'd get something with 2^25 = 33,554,432 terms. May be slightly excessive!