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felipec  unbelief  1yr ago (felipec.substack.com)   3238 thread views

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.

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It merely makes 2+2=0 another representation of the same statement.

Do you believe that (2+2=4) and (2+2=0 (mod 4)) is "the same statement"?

(2+2=4 (mod 4)) and (2+2=0 (mod 4)) is the same statement. If you omit the (mod 4) part, you're merely communicating badly. Again.

(2+2=4 (mod 4)) and (2+2=0 (mod 4)) is the same statement.

That is not what I asked.

I took the liberty of clarifying my position instead of answering the badly posed question. Naturally modular arithmetics is not the same as integer arithmetics.

"2+2=4" is true in both, only in one 2+2=0 is also true.

It's a yes-or-no question:

Do you believe that (2+2=4) and (2+2=0 (mod 4)) are "the same statement"?

It's a badly posed question. You have been weaponizing ambiguity the whole time, I'm not accepting your framework without adding context.

If you want a question answered, state it clearly.

It's a badly posed question.

No, it's not. You are refusing to answer because the answer destroys your belief.

Are you denying that mathematical expressions exist?

It's a badly posed question because it's not fully specified, namely, you're not stating where (2+2=4) lives.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, because we can assume it's the default if not otherwise noted, but a) we'e explicitly discussing multiple number systems here and b) you have already proven you can't be trusted not to omit relevant information.

Your question is ambiguously stated. Normally it wouldn't be, but have earned a reputation of communicating badly. Define whether (2+2=4) in your question is integer arithmetics or (mod 4) (or something else) and I'll answer your question.

It's a badly posed question because it's not fully specified, namely, you're not stating where (2+2=4) lives.

Really? Wasn't your entire argument relying on the fact that if the arithmetic wasn't specifically specified, then certain arithmetic was always assumed?

Your question is ambiguously stated.

Which was my entire point.

Normally it wouldn't be

So you are accepting it: normally 2+2 is not 0, but I didn't ask if normally that was the case, I asked if it was always the case.

For the record, when I ask ChatGPT if it's always necessarily the case, it answers "no". It says that's not the case in other arithmetics. Weird that it interprets math like me, not like you.

Define whether (2+2=4) in your question is integer arithmetics or (mod 4) (or something else) and I'll answer your question.

It's not any modular arithmetic, it's standard arithmetic (the one you claimed should always be assumed).

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