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June 11, 2007

Math Mondays

So move a single line anywhere in this equation to make it true:

VI = II

Two solutions that I know.

Posted by G at June 11, 2007 08:33 PM

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Comments

Lift the top part of the equal sign to make it a "greater than."

Posted by: Mike at June 11, 2007 09:13 PM

I can think of three right off the bat: move any of the three I's to cross the equal sign.

Other than that, I'm gonna need a few minutes.

Posted by: Mike B. at June 11, 2007 09:48 PM

maybe this is a little too outside the box...

V ≠ II

or

VI ≠ I

otherwise I'm not seeing it... yet

Posted by: Carl at June 11, 2007 10:03 PM

Wow! Already have two (one I hadn't thought of, going to show the other math teachers), still one to go. Hint: The equal sign stays.

Posted by: glenn at June 11, 2007 10:31 PM

Make the "V" into an "X" and it becomes XI which = 11.

Posted by: Mike at June 11, 2007 11:43 PM

Logic?

I v I = I

Posted by: Carl at June 11, 2007 11:50 PM

√ I = I

the HTML symbol shows a radical as 3 lines, but I'm thinking if it were drawn out how as \/¯ it would work as well

Posted by: Carl at June 11, 2007 11:56 PM

I'm trying to look at the numbers as shapes more than numerical values, so I was thinking about moving either one of the diagonal lines in V down to make it an II w/ the left I being twice the size of the one next to it?

I wanna solve one of these badly! You're killin' me.

Posted by: Doug at June 12, 2007 02:48 AM

I remember this. You move one line in the V. So VI=III becomes III=III. I can't do math. I always looked at it as a design problem.

Posted by: Tony at June 12, 2007 05:37 AM

Actually I would just convert:

V = II

to

V + II

Regardless of the result, it will be non-zero, and thus true.

Posted by: Brian at June 12, 2007 09:57 AM

hm

there's no equivalent symbol for "greater than or equal" on my keyboard, you know > with an underscore underneath.

II "greater than or equal to" (or "less than or equal to") II

Posted by: Stash at June 13, 2007 10:19 AM

I came up with the same thing as Mike, turn the V into an X:
XI = 11

Posted by: Dagon at June 14, 2007 11:57 AM

Do you think MR. MATH TEACHER is ever going to give us the SOLUTIONS? Or is he waiting for July?

Posted by: Mike at June 28, 2007 10:45 PM

There are no incorrect answers, which is why I love this type of problem. My solutions were creating the inequality or the square root sign, but I was thoroughly impressed by the 'greater than or equal sign', the reforming of the V to an X, and especially the logic answer.

This is why math is so interesting to me, because I am constantly having to revise my own strategies on how to solve problems.

Posted by: glenn at June 29, 2007 08:48 AM