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enter image description here

The artist in the market is giving this painting for free (the last one on his rack). I asked him if I can take it but he replied "Why should I give it to you?" The frame could be useful but I dont want to tell him that so I ask him why should he give it for free. He answered "because I miss to paint something into it". It looks like straight edge drawing to me but I'm curious so I asked him what is missing in his painting. He told me that I can take it if I figured it out. I offer to buy it if he would tell me but he just refused while people are now gathering around the painting. What is missing?

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    $\begingroup$ I suggest adding a hint! I've been thinking about this: rot13(Pbhyq vg or gung zbfg bs gur qenja yvarf naq neebjf pbhyq or pbzovarq gb sbezf Kf. Fb vs jr pbzovar nyy bs gurz, jr trg na K gung vf zvffvat n yvar be neebj, fbzrubj?) $\endgroup$
    – Paul Karam
    Oct 11, 2019 at 17:17
  • $\begingroup$ @PaulKaram-Znlor vs lbh vtaber gur fgbel naq whfg ybbx ng vg lbh'yy svther vg bhg. $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Oct 12, 2019 at 9:06
  • $\begingroup$ Is it related to some rot13(gvzrfgnzc sbe rnpu K)? @TSLF $\endgroup$
    – SamRoy
    Oct 12, 2019 at 14:19
  • $\begingroup$ @SamRoy-Whfg gur fgvyy cerfrag, fcngvnyyl qvfgbegrq. $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Oct 18, 2019 at 9:01
  • $\begingroup$ I am still curious about this! $\endgroup$
    – Paul Karam
    Nov 11, 2020 at 7:38

6 Answers 6

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I think the painting is meant to portray:

Four dimensions - because that appears to be the name of the painting.

But it is missing:

One of the dimensions. Possibly depth, or the 'fourth' dimension'.

My reasoning:

The commonly recognised three dimensions are height, width and depth. The fourth dimension is considered to be either the concept of time in physics; but in geometry it can be the direction of movement of the 3-dimensional object. The painting appears to have axes for height and width with marks to denote some kind of scale. The diagonal line in the middle of the painting has arrows instead of scale markings. Perhaps this denotes time (because time only travels in one direction), in which case the painting lacks depth. Or perhaps it is meant to denote depth, in which case it is time that is missing.

It also occurs to me that:

The action of taking the painting away would technically add the fourth dimension of movement to the existing three, so maybe that is why the artist is inviting people to take it away?

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  • $\begingroup$ Depth can be represented by the thickness or layers of the paint. It looks like he ought to portray the 4 dimensions (4Xs) using the "4th dimension" or time. $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Nov 19, 2018 at 16:04
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I'm no art critic, but I'd still say

the painting lacks depth.

The painter missed to paint something into it, because

he wants to depict a nice projection of the 4-dimensional coordinate axes, but that takes 3 dimensions, so his paintbrush literally misses when he tries to paint outside the plane of the canvas.

Maybe :-)

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The painting is missing:

the artist's signature, so it is obviously a forgery, hence the price tag.

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The painting is missing

a Time axis.

It's clearly titled.

It has 4 Xs but only three axes.
Read both aloud, enjoy the verbal pununciation, realize "4 Xs" does not equal "3 axes" and tell the painter he needs one axis more (not only for this reason but because, obviously, the titular 4th Dimension needs a 4th axis to be represented on a graph). The missing axis must be the 4th dimension one for Time.

Take your painting home and enjoy the new frame.

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  • $\begingroup$ It is about time or 4th dimension $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Sep 25, 2019 at 6:22
  • $\begingroup$ @TSLF I don't exactly understand your comment. My answer is about time or the 4th dimension; what is your comment supposed to tell me? $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Sep 25, 2019 at 6:25
  • $\begingroup$ The painting is just 2D with 3 arrows that looks like axes. The artist maybe just portraying space by using time elements. The artist just missed something to paint and maybe there would be no free frame if he correctly included it to the painting. $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Sep 25, 2019 at 7:03
  • $\begingroup$ Well. Obviously this is too esoteric for me. :) $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Sep 25, 2019 at 7:15
  • $\begingroup$ i thought of it as a short puzzle but the "aha" went that illusive $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Sep 25, 2019 at 7:32
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Two things:

the arrows on the diagonal axis (not the last one) should be replaced with strokes to represent intervals.

And:

thanks to @Bass, the picture lacks depth, and therefore the intervals on the diagonal axis should be of increasing distance from the origin.

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  • $\begingroup$ count the letters $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Nov 25, 2018 at 13:58
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I've got a feeling that the image should have been drawn like this:

Complete Image with missing item

Reasoning:

Each X represents a vector. Since this is a 2D plan, a vector that is perpenduclar to our plan should be represented with a circle that contains a point, or a circle that contains an X (point means the vector is pointing from the screen to you, X means the vector is pointing from you to the screen.)

Another possible solution is:

Another Solution

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  • $\begingroup$ It is just 4th dimension (time). What's the first thing that you can think of? $\endgroup$
    – TSLF
    Oct 20, 2019 at 17:07
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    $\begingroup$ Normally I'd think of a clock (digital or analog), date, seconds, minutes, stuff like that... @TSLF $\endgroup$
    – Paul Karam
    Oct 21, 2019 at 14:33

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