[bingohbangoh]

I agree.

It reminds me of the math "puzzles" on Twitter which go:

1 shoe + 1 shoe = 2

2 shoes + 2 shoes = 4

3 shoes + 2 shoes = ???

And the answer isn't 5 because a) we're not counting shoes and b) the shoe laces were different colors. There's nothing clever, it just teaches you to be hyper cynical and question every little detail which isn't relevant to either Math or the real world.

[ninalanyon]

I have a little monograph written many decades ago on Dimensional Analysis. Since reading it, not quite so many decades ago, I simply dismiss puzzles of this sort because the two sides of the equations are dimensionally incongruent. This means that I have to try to guess the state of mind of the questioner rather than solve a logic problem.

It's a handy stance because I'm no good at either solving logic problems or getting inside other people's heads!

Another on that really irritates me is the kind that presents a series of integers and asks which integer comes next. Any integer will do, you just have to fit the appropriate polynomial.

[chromaton]

> Another on that really irritates me is the kind that presents a series of integers and asks which integer comes next. Any integer will do, you just have to fit the appropriate polynomial.

This one bugs me to no end because it's part of the standard elementary school curriculum, for example here: https://byjus.com/maths/patterns-questions/

But surely someone with a strong imagination could come up with a pattern to fit any number as the next in the sequence. I doubt most elementary educators even grasp the issue.

[bingohbangoh]

> This means that I have to try to guess the state of mind of the questioner rather than solve a logic problem

That is an excellent way to put it!

It explains why it appeals to non-math people. They are (usually) better at these more verbal-based games ime.

[hinkley]

I expect people in different branches of statistics or physics would potentially come up with different answers based on what sorts of series appear in their realm of expertise.