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An excellent question for a first grader

So one day a teacher is trying to teach their first graders math. She starts with the fundamentals. 1+1=2. But all the kids had been talking before hand and thought they had this arithmetic all figured out. So all of them said $1 + 1 = 3.$ Each and everyone. Try as they might the teacher couldn't convince them 3*3=9. They all said $3 * 3 = 6$. Of course when the teacher said no 3+3=6. They all laughed them off and went on their merry way.


Additional ones our teacher overheard over the next week.
3 + 3 + 1 = 6 
2 * 2 = 2 
4 + 2 = 1
2 + 4 = 1 
10 + 1 = 3 
16 + 3 = 5 
17 + 3 = 7 
18 * 3 = 7 
2 + 2 = 1 
0 + 0  = 3 
0 * 0 = 4
3 + 7 = 5
5 * 3 = 5
4 * 8 = 3
3 * 3 + 7 * 7 = 11
6 * 3 = 4

4 + 4 = ?
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    $\begingroup$ the 0 * 0 = 4 idea would really increase my paycheck $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Jul 16, 2015 at 16:46
  • $\begingroup$ Can you give us some more examples using multiplication? $\endgroup$
    – qwertylpc
    Commented Jul 16, 2015 at 18:09
  • $\begingroup$ I'm going to be very upset if you're implying that I'm dumber than a first grader. $\endgroup$
    – mmking
    Commented Jul 16, 2015 at 20:29

1 Answer 1

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The answer is

4 + 4 = 1

because

the answer is the number of Es in the expression to the left of and including the equals sign, when rendered as words. Multiplication is read as "times" for these purposes, and 0 is read as "zero" as opposed to "nought". In this case, "4 + 4 = " is read as "four plus four equals" or "four add four equals", for a total of one E.

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    $\begingroup$ Wow that was good. I must ask, how did you figure that one out? Trial and error? Or just pure logic? $\endgroup$
    – 83457
    Commented Jul 17, 2015 at 13:11
  • $\begingroup$ I second that curiousity. The most telling ones I see are 0 + 0 = 3 0 * 0 = 4 and 2 * 2 = 2 2 + 2 = 1 which can indicate * = + + 1 $\endgroup$
    – Going hamateur
    Commented Jul 17, 2015 at 16:37
  • $\begingroup$ Clarification: care to share your thought process, I am curious. $\endgroup$
    – Going hamateur
    Commented Jul 18, 2015 at 1:23

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