riddle

[Rallispec]

i saw this today-- i dont even know what the answer is.


Eleven minus two = twelve minus one
how?

 

[chickendinner]

the ti-92+ said false and it likes a riddle as much as the next guy

 

[Pundit]

There may be some significance to the numbers, if it's a riddle. Perhaps it's not just straight arithmetic...

 

[911paramedic]

E_L_E_V_E_N - T_W_O = T_W_E_L_V_E - O_N_E

If you play with the letters and remove them as appropriate it will spell ELEVEN=ELEVEN.

 

[yiwonder]

That's kinda stupid...

Just divide by two.

 

[Jzero]

<< That's kinda stupid...

Just divide by two. >>



How does that help?

5.5-1=6-.5

Still not a true statement.

 

[yiwonder]

<<

<< That's kinda stupid...

Just divide by two. >>



How does that help?

5.5-1=6-.5

Still not a true statement. >>


Divide by T W O (as in the letters T, W, O)

You then get, E L E V E N=E L E V E N

 

[Jzero]

<< Divide by T W O (as in the letters T, W, O)

You then get, E L E V E N=E L E V E N >>



Ahhh....see the "quote" button?
Didn't realize you were clarifying 911paramedic's solution.

 

[BooneRebel]

Two possibilities:

Temperature expressed in degrees below zero (11 & 12) 11 below minus 2 = 12 below minus 1 = 13 degrees below zero?

Roman numerals VI II = VII I? Oops, er uh XI II = XII I. Been a while...

 

[BooneRebel]

<<

<<

<< That's kinda stupid...

Just divide by two. >>



How does that help?

5.5-1=6-.5

Still not a true statement. >>


Divide by T W O (as in the letters T, W, O)

You then get, E L E V E N=E L E V E N >>



Welll, you would get E L E V E N = E L V E N E (assuming you ignore the letters in the word MINUS, and remove TWO from each side of the equation even though it says 'minus one' on the right side.)

 

[samgau]

its XI = 11 and XII = 12 cause VI = 6 and VII = 7 ....

 

[Jzero]

<< Welll, you would get E L E V E N = E L V E N E (assuming you ignore the letters in the word MINUS, and remove TWO from each side of the equation even though it says 'minus one' on the right side.) >>


True, but thanks to the old associative property of multipilication, the product is the same regardless of the order in which the factors are multiplied.

So we can rearrange the letters as we see fit.