Proving that 1 + 1 = 3
Date: 11/18/95 at 23:50:57
From: Anonymous
Subject: 1+1 = 3 ?
Hi,
How can I show that 1+1 = 3 ?
There is a possibility if you use sin and cos,
but I don`t know how.
CU
Date: 11/19/95 at 17:12:23
From: Doctor Ken
Subject: Re: 1+1 = 3 ?
Hello!
Let me say first of all that there is no real proof for the statement
1 + 1 = 3. You cannot use correct mathematics to prove an incorrect
statement.
However, there are a couple of cutesie "proofs" of stuff like this,
and you can use them to "prove" anything you want. The most
famous example is the "proof" that 1 = 0, and once you prove anything
that isn't true, you can prove ANYTHING else. You could prove that the
moon is made of green cheese. You could prove that 5 = 8. You could
prove that I'm your father. And yes, you could also prove that 1+1 = 3.
That's because the statement p => q is always true when p is false.
So that's the deal.
-Doctor Ken, The Geometry Forum
From: Anonymous
Date: 11/22/95 at 23:50:57
Subject: 1+1 = 3 ?
Can you give me a possible solution, an example?
CU
Date: 12/15/95 at 0:9:20
From: Doctor Ken
Subject: Re: 1+1 = 3 ?
Hello -
Here's one that's not too tricky to figure out where the problem is.
My fellow doctor Ethan made it up:
Let x=y. Then
x - y + y = y
x - y + y y
--------- = ---
x-y x-y
y y
1 + --- = ---
x-y x-y
1 = 0
Now we know that 1 = 1, so add the following three equations together:
1 = 0
1 = 1
1 = 1
On the right is 1+1, and on the left is 3 ones, and 3 ones make 3.
-Doctor Ken, The Geometry Forum