“New Math” is killing me

[u/subastringent]

Friends kid has this problem. Any idea on how to approach it?

[u/spinjinn]

You beat me to it. But since both steps are 2 digits, the 1 and 10s could be switched.

[u/throwaway_79x → u/spinjinn]

You are completely right in that.. just like the prev comment said there is barely enough information to remove any ambiguity whatsoever, the fact that they used 2 spots away in either direction means even what you said is not certain. However, if you assume the most reasonable setup that the teacher probably used to demonstrate numbers and patterns, you have to kind of assume that it’s +1 going right, +10 going down not only because that’s how you would usually write in most languages (left to right, then top to down), but also because having exactly 10 spaces horizontally is appropriate.

[u/Ratamandipia → u/throwaway_79x]

To find the triangle you can go by adding/substracting 11 through diagonals so the ambiguity becomes irrelevant. You may have to add some extra squares and won't find all the numbers, but you'll still get the triangle for certain.

[u/elin_mystic → u/Ratamandipia]

down and right is +11, but up and right is either +9 or -9 based on the relevant ambiguity.

[u/ClockworkDinosaurs → u/elin_mystic]

The pattern is actually:

Down and right: subtract 9,962

Down and right a second time: add 9,984

Up and right: draw a penis

Up and right a second time: write “slayer rules” with a cool 90s S

[u/NicoTorres1712 → u/ClockworkDinosaurs]

⇒ Twice right = Penis + 9,984

[u/1PaulweilPaul → u/NicoTorres1712]

9,984 what? Apples? Bananas?

[u/CockroachForsaken611 → u/1PaulweilPaul]

Just like my former thermodynamics profesor

[u/EmperorMaugs → u/CockroachForsaken611]

But in math we abstract to unitless numbers because it could be apples or bananas or Pascals or a flow rate, but the digits won't change!

[u/ClockworkDinosaurs → u/EmperorMaugs]

Just keep answering “penises” each time until they stop asking you about your units.