Hybris Let A = B A = B Multiply both sides by A A2 = AB Add A2 to both sides A2 + A2 = A2 + AB 2A2 = A2 + AB Subtract 2AB from both sides 2A2 - 2AB = A2 + AB - 2AB 2A2 - 2AB = A2 - AB Factor 2 (A2 - AB) = 1 (A2 - AB) Cancel 2 = 1 What do you think, everyone?
Hybris I love how some people will stare at it for hours trying to figure out where the error is and other people take one look and get it immediately.
chiralica Hybris unfortunately I’ve seen it before, so instead I made a reference to what Bertrand Russell was asked to prove when he said that with 1=2 he could prove anything
Millennium 🌠 witchy witchy Opalicchi It’s a deliberately-incorrect “trick” that relies on the reader not paying attention. In the last step, she divides both sides by A2 - AB, but because A = B, A2 - AB = 0. So all she’s actually proved is that 1 × 0 = 2 × 0.
witchy witchy Opalicchi nooooo…nooooooo it was a joke I understand that A and B are just variable names nooo
Hybris I think Emma was also making a joke. Because, you see, saying A = B while also saying that A = 1 and B = 2 is nonsensical.
