Japanese math puzzle baffles the internet: Are you among the 40% who can't solve it?
7:34 AM EST, January 15, 2024
This puzzle was titled the Japanese Mathematical Puzzle. According to various sources, including a YouTube user running the MindYourDecisions channel, only 60 percent of Japanese individuals have recently been able to solve it correctly. Intriguingly, during the 80s, nearly 90 percent of the nation's population solved it.
A seemingly simple task proves difficult for many
Even though the puzzle appears simple and solvable in one's mind, it proves challenging for many. Therefore, using a sheet of paper and a pencil is advisable to solve it systematically.
It's also helpful to recall your school days and remember the rules related to the order of operations. Primarily, we always conduct operations within parentheses first. Next in line is multiplication or division, followed by addition and subtraction.
Order of operations leads to the correct answer
In the equation 9 - 3 ÷ ⅓ + 1 =?, the division operation should be conducted first. Here, you need to consider operations with fractions and remember that 3 divided by ⅓ is the inverse of ⅓, which is three.
As the MindYourDecisions channel on YouTube explains, this will give the simplified equation: 9 - 3x3 + 1, which equates to 9 - 9 + 1. According to the order of operations, this ultimately results in the answer 1, the only correct solution. The video on the profile above shows a detailed step-by-step solution to the puzzle.
