Interesting

This Math Question For Class 5 Students In China Has Stumped Adults

IANS, 02 Feb, 2018 04:22 PM

The world is divided into two kinds of people - those who love Math and those who don't. And this question meant for fifth graders in China will either reinstate your love for the subject, or make you hate it even more. But chances are you won't be able to look away from it until you've given it some thought.

11-year-olds at a primary school in China's Shunqing were asked to answer a question that many online have termed unsolvable, reports BBC. "If a ship had 26 sheep and 10 goats onboard, how old is the ship's captain?" asks the question. Pictures of the question have since created quite a stir on Chinese social media as many have been left utterly confused about the answer.

Before you think there was a misprint on the exam paper or that the question is incomplete, let us tell you, the question is absolutely fine. In fact, officials of an education department have defended the question saying it examines a student's critical awareness and ability to think independently, reports BBC.

The question received a varied number of answers from students as translated by South China Morning Post:

"The captain should be at least 18 years old because a minor is not allowed by law to operate a vessel," offered one student.

"The captain is 36 years old. He is quite narcissistic, so the number of animals corresponds to his age," suggested another.

"We cannot be sure of the captain's age. The number of the sheep and goats is irrelevant to the captain's age," concluded a third.

A Weibo user also offered this explanation for the question, reports BBC: "The total weight of 26 sheep and 10 goat is 7,700kg, based on the average weight of each animal. In China, if you're driving a ship that has more than 5,000kg of cargo you need to have possessed a boat license for five years. The minimum age for getting a boat's license is 23, so he's at least 28."

So can you solve this question without losing your marbles?

While this math problem has little to do with the subject, it has surely garnered a lot of attention. Something similar to when Donald Trump’s “Covfefe” made it to the ISI Kolkata question paper.

The second year students of the Master of Statistics programme at ISI Kolkata found a rather interesting question in their paper on Martingale Theory.

A question that read “Mr. Trump decides to post a random message on Facebook and he starts typing a random sequence of letters {Uk}k≥1 such that they are chosen independently and uniformly from the 26 possible english alphabets. Find out the expected time of the first appearance of the word COVFEFE.”

LOL. Today's exam at the Indian Statistical Institute. See Qn 5. pic.twitter.com/TrHHpyGCCP
— Grieve Chelwa (@gchelwa) December 1, 2017

Prev Next

MORE Interesting ARTICLES

Italian Woman, 116, Seen As Last Living Person Born In 1800s

ERBANIA, Italy — Surrounded by relatives and neighbours, Italy's Emma Morano greeted with a smile the news that she, at 116, is now the oldest person in the world.

Italian Woman, 116, Seen As Last Living Person Born In 1800s

Wal-Mart Sharpens Amazon Attack With 2-Day Delivery Service

The world's largest retailer is trimming its free-shipping pilot program to two days from a three, and it's cutting a dollar off the membership price. Membership is now be $49 per year.

Wal-Mart Sharpens Amazon Attack With 2-Day Delivery Service

Uzbekistan School Teachers 'Paid In Chickens' Because Of Cash Shortages

A city in Uzbekistan has paid its schoolteachers in chickens rather than cash, it's reported.

Uzbekistan School Teachers 'Paid In Chickens' Because Of Cash Shortages

Triumph For UK Woman Who Refused To Wear High Heels At Work

Nicola Thorp, 27, had been told in December that her flat shoes were unacceptable in London while on assignment. She was sent home without pay after refusing to change her shoes.

Triumph For UK Woman Who Refused To Wear High Heels At Work

2 Brits, Mexican Are 1st Foreigners On Everest In 2 Years

The six climbers reached the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak early Thursday and were heading to lower camps, said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

2 Brits, Mexican Are 1st Foreigners On Everest In 2 Years

Breastfeeding Pilots' Claims Against Airline Seen As Advance

DENVER — Charges by four female pilots that Frontier Airlines' policies for pregnant women and new mothers are discriminatory could be seen as progress, an advocate says.