# A little math problem w/ a silly answer **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2000, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399 "2000-05-02T22:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/1 "2000-05-02T22:21:43Z")
OK, this started out as a little cutsie joke I had with my girlfriend, but I started getting into it and eventually took it to this level of complexity for no reason whatsoever. Then, by the time I had written this, my girlfriend knew the answer from precious versions and I didn’t want it to go to waste; so I sent it to a couple of friends. And while I’m at it, I might as well put it on here to see if anyone cares. So lets see you all go to work. Remember, the answer/punchline is extremely silly (I’m talkin 7 or 8 year old silly). note: reject all non-whole number solutions. 4 3 2 4x x 6x x \_\_\_ - \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ - 62 = 20 4 3 2 she she she she ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/2 "2000-05-02T22:43:31Z")
Ooooops, I just realized that this did not show up even close to the way I had intended it to look. I’ll try again: 4 3 2 4x x 6x x \_\_\_ - \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ - 62 = 20 4 3 2 she she she she ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/3 "2000-05-02T22:45:12Z")
What a bummer. The system keeps taking all the spaces out of my post. Anyone know how I can remedy this. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/4 "2000-05-02T22:48:53Z")
Try surrounding your problem with “CODE” markers using vB code. Something like this: {CODE} ```auto Now is the time for all good men ``` {/CODE} except replace the curly braces with brackets. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/5 "2000-05-02T23:03:07Z")
\*\* 4 \* \* \*3 \*\*\*\* 2 \*4x \* \* x \*\*\*\* 6x \*\*\* x \*\_\_\_ - \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ + \_\_\_ - 62 = 20 \*\*\*\*4 \*\*\*\* 3 \*\*\*\*\*\* 2 \*she \* she \* she \* she Well here is another attempt. Ignore the \*'s if possible. For clarification: the top line and 4th line are exponents. Anyway, this started out as a fun thing and now I think I’m becoming obsessive so I’d better get ouuta here. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/6 "2000-05-02T23:06:32Z")
Hey Pluto, that’s great! Could you explain a little bit further? I’m new to this vB code. What exactly do I type to get a space? How about 2 or 3 spaces. Do I type the code word for each individual space? ---
**Author:** ![Shadenwawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Shadenwawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadenwawa)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/7 "2000-05-02T23:50:21Z")
```auto Code is great cause it keeps whatever formatting you put in it. i.e. you don't need special "space" tags, just stick whatever between the code tags and it shows up that way. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Shadenwawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Shadenwawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadenwawa)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2000, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/8 "2000-05-02T23:51:30Z")
Evidentally it doesn’t wrap words either. My apologies for the ultra-wide post. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/9 "2000-05-03T00:02:29Z")
**Shadenwawa** : Gaaahhhhh! **Kenny** : To see how someone did something, you can click on the “quote” button at the bottom of their post, and it will show exactly what they typed in. You don’t have to actually post a reply, you can just hit the “back” button to go back to the thread. I do this all the time to learn neat tricks. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/10 "2000-05-03T00:22:38Z")
Kenny you will have to tell me if this is the spacing you meant or not. I converted all your asterisks to spaces. ```auto 4 3 2 4x x 6x x ___-___ + ___+___ - 62 = 20 4 3 2 she she she she ``` ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/11 "2000-05-03T01:13:36Z")
Does it come out to Shit shit shit shit? ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/12 "2000-05-03T15:28:09Z")
Iswote: Thank you, that’s exactly it. and Surgo: no ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/13 "2000-05-03T15:49:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > ```auto > > Code is great cause > it keeps > whatever formatting > you put in it. > > i.e. you don't need special "space" tags, just stick whatever between the code tags and it shows up that way. > > ``` > > \*\* ```auto 4 3 2 4x x 6x x ___-___ + ___+___ - 62 = 20 4 3 2 she she she she ``` ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/14 "2000-05-03T15:52:20Z")
WOW!! Geobabe, thank you. What a great thing to know. See, I came here to put a silly math joke up on the board and ended up learning something new. Whatta day! ---
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/15 "2000-05-03T16:16:56Z")
I’m confused. Is the 4x, x, 6x, and x supposed to be the numerators? And what about the numbers above these? ---
**Author:** ![Shadenwawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Shadenwawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadenwawa)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/16 "2000-05-03T16:19:43Z")
Ok Kenny… As I read it, its: Four times X to the fourth power over “she” to the fourth power minus X cubed over “she” cubed plus six X squared over “she” squared plus X over “she” minus 62 equals 20. Am I reading this right? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/17 "2000-05-03T16:54:40Z")
Please God, make it stop! ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/18 "2000-05-03T16:55:27Z")
Shade, That’s exactly right. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/19 "2000-05-03T17:54:20Z")
Now, who’s got an answer? I’ll give it till Fri. But, just a warning: the punchline is going to be very dissappointing. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399/20 "2000-05-03T19:34:05Z")
I used to good at solving these equations with 2 variables but those days appear to be gone since I can’t even get cracking at it and since Kenny says the answer is just a silly punchline anyway I am going to giveup and wait for the answer on Friday. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-math-problem-w-a-silly-answer/18399.md?page=2)