I can prove that 2 = 1

[aeroguy]

Ready... See if you can follow


Let's say
a = b
add an 'a' to both sides to get
a + a = a + b
which is the same as
2a = a + b
now subtract 2b from both sides
2a - 2b = a + b - 2b
factor out the 2 and subtract
2(a - b) = (a - b)
divide both sides by (a - b) to get
2 = 1


Math Wizardry combined with pretty sound logic. Can anyone tell me why this works?

 

[rgwalt]

"In This House We Obey The Laws Of Thermodynamics!"

~Homer Simpson

 

[Einz]

kinda old.. but i know why I won't spoil it for those who don't quite know it yet.

 

[b0mbrman]

Mmm...I think I'll also hold off for the younger tykes

 

[Pastore]

math sucks .

 

[aphex]

<< math sucks . >>

 

[aeroguy]

<< kinda old.. but i know why I won't spoil it for those who don't quite know it yet. >>



Yes, kinda old. Probably almost as old as math itself, but timeless none-the-less.

 

[dionx]

<< Let's say a = b
add an 'a' to both sides to get a + a = a + b
which is the same as 2a = a + b
now subtract 2b from both sides 2a - 2b = a + b - 2b >>



good till this point

but when you factor out the 2, you get

2(a-b) = a + b - 2b

substitute a for b, then you get 0=0. so you didn't prove 2 =1

 

[AreaCode707]

AphexII, I like the other avatar better.

 

[datalink7]

a-b = 0

So wouldn't you have 0 = 0 at the end instead of 2 = 1?

edit damn, dionx beat me to the punch.

 

[JohnnyReb]

 

[aphex]

<< AphexII, I like the other avatar better. >>



Hahah, ive had it for a few days now... You dont like me as a 'jolly' woman?

 

[notfred]

<<
a = b
add an 'a' to both sides to get
a + a = a + b
which is the same as
2a = a + b
now subtract 2b from both sides
2a - 2b = a + b - 2b
factor out the 2 and subtract
2(a - b) = (a - b)
divide both sides by (a - b) to get
2 = 1
>>



a-b = 0. you can't divide by zero.

 

[aeroguy]

You are all very very close.

The real meat of the issue is when I divide by (a - b)
As you have figured out (a - b) = 0
and the math law broken here is dividing by 0

ERROR. DIVIDED BY ZERO.

 

[pyonir]

<< AphexII, I like the other avatar better. >>


glad to see i wasn't alone on that one....

 

[aphex]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[aeroguy]

good job notfred

Thanks, you've been a good crowd.

 

[ElFenix]

1 is an assumption anyway.

 

[Lithium381]

hah, my friend tried to make me beleive that 4 = 3:

4 = 3
(mutliply both sides by 0)
0*4 = 0*3
(gives you
0 = 0

therefore the entire statement is true, so 4 is the same as 3.......why does that work, i mean i see it's not impossible, but logicly that seems wrong

 

[tops2]

lol
i remember my hs math teacher tried to trick us with that problem

 

[Zebo]

I can prove that 2 = 1

The sky is blue too. So what?
Lets see, man works and wife works = 2 paychecks
Man wants 65' GTO he's been eyeing since birth = 0
Wife wants shutters and curtains because it's vogue =1

2=1+0

Simple math really.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

My prof had a good proof of 0 = 1 lemme see if I can remember it

0 = 0
0 = 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + ....
0 = (1-1) + (1-1) + (1-1) + (1-1) +... to infinity
0 = 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 .... to infinity
0 = 1 + ( -1 + 1) + (-1 + 1) + (-1 + 1) .... to infinity
0 = 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 ..... to infinity
0 = 1

somehow I'm remembering this isn't exactly how he did it. It was to illustrate something about infinite sequences.

Lemme know if you can see why this is wrong

-Ice

 

[SuperCyrix]

You know, that's what I've been saying all along. 1 = 2
Took the rest of the world long enough to figure that out.
also
1 - 1 = H

 

[AkumaX]

<< 1 - 1 = H >>



LOL

 

[aeroguy]

<< hah, my friend tried to make me beleive that 4 = 3:

4 = 3
(mutliply both sides by 0)
0*4 = 0*3
(gives you
0 = 0

therefore the entire statement is true, so 4 is the same as 3.......why does that work, i mean i see it's not impossible, but logicly that seems wrong >>



Um, using that logic, everything is equal to everything else, and besides, you only proved that if you multiply both sides by zero, you get zero, which is right. To do a correct proof, you would need to end with 4 = 3, not start with it.