Whether you love it or hate it, math is a very important part of many professions. Even if you don’t use math problems in your daily life, you might love to see if you can solve them. Every once in a while, you might see an extremely hard math question on social media that seems to stump everyone.
We gathered up a list of some of the hardest math problems going around the Internet right now. See if you can solve all of these without using a calculator! Then brag to your friends and see how many they can solve on their own:
1. This math problem actually has two possible answers… which one is actually correct?
Remember, there are two common solutions to this math problem. See if you can find both of them. Okay, ready for the solutions?
First, add the equation. After, combine the sum of that equation to the previous equation.
1 + 4 = 5
2 + 5 = 7. So add the first sum of the previous equation, like so: 5 + 7 = 12
3 + 6= 9, so add 9 + 12 = 21.
Solution: 8 + 11 = 19, so add 19 + 21 = 40.
Did you get another answer? Let’s find the other solution to this math problem. Instead of simply adding, you can multiply the second number by the number you are adding to it.
1 + (4 x 1) = 5
2 + (5 x 2) = 12
3 + (6 x 3) = 21
Solution: 8 + (11 x 8) = 96
What do you think? Which answer did you get? Do you think they are both correct?
2. This one seems easy but has stumped millions of people…
If you tried to solve the math question we previously posted, this one also uses PEMDAS. Remember you go in order from left to right: Parentheses/Brackets, Exponents/Orders, Multiplication-Division, and then Addition-Subtraction.
Have you figured it out yet? The correct answer is 9! If you got 1 as your answer, you might be using a different version of PEMDAS that was taught way back in the day before 1917.
3. Can you figure out Cheryl’s Birthday in this math problem?
This math problem is from Singapore but is making its way around Facebook. Can you guess Cheryl’s birthday based on the clues above?
This is more of a logic puzzle and requires you to create a table of the dates and use the process of elimination. In doing so, you can figure out that Cheryl’s birthday is on July 16. You need to look closely at the clues to figure it out. If you need a more detailed way to find the answer, check it out here.
4. This one is for second graders but is tripping up most adults!
Parents were going crazy about this math problem that is supposedly for second graders. However, it is easier than it seems! Can you figure it out?
You can translate this question into a simple math problem: -19 + 17 = 2. Now that makes 65 people on the train if there were 63 to begin with. However, some people think the answer is 46… what did you get? Watch the video for more information on the solution.
5. Apparently, only one 1 out of 10 people can solve this without a calculator… can you?
All you have to do is round the numbers up or down to the nearest multiple of five. So, round 12 to 10, 26 to 25, and 37 to 40. Then do 10 (80) = 800. Now, which answer is the closest? 936! So, that is the answer. This isn’t always a foolproof way to figure out a math solution without using a calculator, but it works most of the time!
Do you love trying to figure out really hard math problems? If you enjoyed this article, please SHARE with your friends and family who love to try these too!