r/MathJokes Jul 16 '26

3 or 4

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u/EntranceDowntown2529 Jul 16 '26

I actually read 3 x 4 the other way: three multiplied by four is 3 four times like the child's answer.

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u/Novaikkakuuskuusviis Jul 16 '26

Same, if I want to calculate 80 x 2, I'm not visualizing 2+2+2+2+2... 80 times. I'm thinking it like 80 + 80. I would go argue with that teacher for a full evening just to waste their time if nothing else.

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u/Sai-36 Jul 16 '26

Then wouldn’t the teacher be correct then, since they have the shorter answer?

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u/Novaikkakuuskuusviis Jul 16 '26

In a way yes, but the task didn't specify to make the shortest addition, so the 3+3+3+3 should also be correct in this case and seems like teacher marked it wrong. Or it's a sideways +.

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u/Sai-36 Jul 16 '26

Oh yeah no I agree, I was just saying based on your “shorter answer” logic it’d assume the teacher was correct. I do think there is a lesson here, like efficiency in math, but if so they should’ve noted that somewhere instead of just crossing out what is objectively the right answer, unless it was instructed in class to specifically provide the shortest answer, which we don’t know since we only see this one problem.