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Simplify (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 days ago by sjmarf@sh.itjust.works to c/mathmemes
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[-] shasta@lemm.ee 2 points 3 days ago

Assuming both x represent the same number. There's no reason to assume the ellipses should include x-x. Why would alphabetic order be involved at all?

[-] pyre@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

have you never taken math? I'm seriously asking because you're incredibly wrong in both statements.

[-] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 days ago

Why would alphabetic order be involved at all?

Because the ... notation effectively means: fill in the blanks. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis#In_mathematical_notation (or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_binary_operation if you want more...)

[-] shasta@lemm.ee 1 points 3 days ago

Yes for numbers, which these are not.

[-] nyctre@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

So your argument is that in the list "a, b, c, ..., z" the "..." Bit could be anything and we have no way of knowing what's there and therefore the problem is unsolvable? Or what are you saying exactly?

[-] shasta@lemm.ee 1 points 3 days ago

Yes. The variables a, b, c, and z must have a stated correlation. Variable names do not implicitly have any relation between them. Ellipses work for numbers because a series of 1, 2, 3 ... 100 can be inferred using the rules of mathematics. A series of a, b, c ... z cannot; the series can only be inferred using the rules of the English language.

[-] pyre@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

so is the word "simplify". I guess we'll never know what they mean by that because if you pretend you don't speak English, then there's no way of knowing!

[-] nyctre@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Right. Well, yeah, I guess your pedantic response is a lot more logical than the intended answer that other people have pointed out. Have a nice day!

this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
326 points (100.0% liked)

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