Question of the day

midlifecrisis

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,262
Caldy999 said:
Having a gardening enthusiast wife .......... lets me play with cars etc........ a crocus grows from a corm.
Click to expand...

That didn't last long!

Correct a bulb is a many layered thing much like an onion, a corm is basically a bulge of the plant underground which acts as an energy store during the winter and tuber is similar... your go Caldy!
 
Caldy999

Caldy999

Junior Member
Messages
445
An easy mathematical one for my first: What is wrong with this????

Let x = y.
Then x2 = xy.
Subtract the same thing from both sides:
x2 - y2 = xy - y2
Factorising (x + y)(x - y) = y (x - y)
Dividing by (x-y), obtain
x + y = y.
Since x = y, we see that
2 y = y
Thus 2 = 1
Subtract 1 from each side
1 = 0
 
drewf

drewf

Member
Messages
7,159
Caldy999 said:
An easy mathematical one for my first: What is wrong with this????

Let x = y.
Then x2 = xy.
Subtract the same thing from both sides:
x2 - y2 = xy - y2
Factorising (x + y)(x - y) = y (x - y)
Dividing by (x-y), obtain
x + y = y.
Since x = y, we see that
2 y = y
Thus 2 = 1
Subtract 1 from each side
1 = 0
Click to expand...

The problem with the question comes in two places:

1. You divided by 0, since x-y obviously must equal zero from the first assertion.

2. Trust me, it won't end well with any mathematical, physics or similar question :)
 
drewf

drewf

Member
Messages
7,159
MrPea said:
As soon as you chose to subtract y2, you defined x=y=0.
Click to expand...

Not so - the traditional first line of this puzzle is that x,y are non-zero. Subtracting y2 doesn't define x and y = 0.
The problem is if x = y, then x - y = 0. You can't then divide by zero...
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,875
MrPea said:
Why do you think that?
Click to expand...

If memory serves (which it probably doesn't) they are all clones of the same plant.

And it's the kind of answer to that kind of trivia question. The question implies a detailed level of knowledge, or the answer is 'something else'

C
 
MrPea

MrPea

Member
Messages
3,015
CatmanV2 said:
If memory serves (which it probably doesn't) they are all clones of the same plant.

And it's the kind of answer to that kind of trivia question. The question implies a detailed level of knowledge, or the answer is 'something else'

C
Click to expand...
It is "That kind of trivia" question. You are indeed right that it's one. Whilst there are many individual trees, once their roots touch each other (either below or above ground) they link up and become one big plant. Anastamosis is the term if anyone wants to find out more.

Over to you!
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,875
OK

We probably all know the story of Adam and Eve. Eve being the first woman on earth.

According to the Greek mythos, who was the first woman?

C
 
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