site banner

2+2 = not what you think

felipec.substack.com

Changing someone's mind is very difficult, that's why I like puzzles most people get wrong: to try to open their mind. Challenging the claim that 2+2 is unequivocally 4 is one of my favorites to get people to reconsider what they think is true with 100% certainty.

-34
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

My comment has nothing to do with bases either. It has everything to do with assuming common context.

This is like you replying “My post has nothing to do with 3*4”, you’ve missed the point entirely and got hung up on the example.

This is your claim:

This is usually covered in basic math courses or textbooks.

What is "this" in this context?

Also, you claimed that "this" is taught in basic math textbooks, but you din't provide an example of such textbook, you provided one of logic.

“This” is that we assume the common interpretation if one exists. The second quoted paragraph explains it.

Logic is a part of math. The book is from an undergrad discrete math course I took once, so I pulled the book from the shelf to quote for you.

“This” is that we assume the common interpretation if one exists. The second quoted paragraph explains it.

Which is?

Logic is a part of math.

No. Logic and mathematics have a complicated relationship.

The book is from an undergrad discrete math course I took once, so I pulled the book from the shelf to quote for you.

So it wasn't a "basic math" course, and you don't have an example of a "basic math" textbook covering "this".

I’m not sure what your angle here is. What are you trying to say? Do you actually not understand my point, or are you just being obtuse?

Discrete math is as basic as it gets, it’s first semester CS/Electrical/Math/Physics. It’s literally the base. Saying logic isn’t part of math but has “a complicated relationship” with math… again, I don’t see what you’re getting at. Seems like an objection for objection’s sake.

Again, the point is that it is convention to assume the common interpretation/ context of a statement when we assess its truth value, unless otherwise specified.

Discrete math is as basic as it gets, it’s first semester CS/Electrical/Math/Physics.

Of university. You were taught math before that, weren't you?

It's not "basic math".

Saying logic isn’t part of math but has “a complicated relationship” with math… again, I don’t see what you’re getting at.

That your statement is not quite correct.

Again, the point is that it is convention to assume the common interpretation/ context of a statement when we assess its truth value

"Convention" literally means usually done, not always.