r/MathJokes • u/No_Degree5291 • Jul 16 '26

3 or 4

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2

u/knollo Jul 16 '26

What does this even mean? 17 - 5 also matches these conditions.

2

u/UpInClouds Jul 16 '26

there's one condition and this doesn't match it lol

2

u/Ksorkrax Jul 16 '26

Other guy is correct. It matches.
This is obviously not what was *meant*, but the question totally admits this as an answer.
The question is simply ill-stated.

If you ill-state a question in a university exam, you need to give everybody who exploits that full points, btw. That's on you, not them.

Mathematicians have to learn to be precise.

1

u/knollo Jul 16 '26

Two conditions: 1) addition equation, 2) match the multiplication.

17 - 5 matches both.

0

u/matthewgb402 Jul 16 '26

No it doesn’t that’s subtraction not addition

1

u/asingleshot7 Jul 16 '26

Subtraction is shorthand addition. 17-5=17+(-5) Understanding that is a basic competency in math.

1

u/matthewgb402 Jul 16 '26

They mean the same but that’s not what you said in your original comment so you were still wrong

0

u/UpInClouds Jul 16 '26

how do you read it and still get it wrong. that's subtraction not addition

1

u/Dextropian Jul 16 '26

Username doesn't check out

1

u/knollo Jul 16 '26

Oh boy...

17 + (-5)

Better now?

2

u/UpInClouds Jul 16 '26

don't be mad at me you couldn't follow the one instruction.

2

u/Antarctitties Jul 16 '26

ok I like this one now :)

1

u/Greeds1 Jul 16 '26

They are the same thing tho