A math problem had suddenly caused a stir on the seemingly calm Weibo!

A Weibo verified user whose account belonged to a Beijing No. 2 Experimental Primary School teacher had posted an elementary math problem online: “Who can answer this? Everyone, come and give a try!”

At the beginning, no one really thought anything about this. On seeing the call for a challenge to solve the question, at most some people would come and take a look at it, thinking that an elementary math problem couldn’t possibly be too difficult. Even secondary level math questions were not a problem for them, besides, who hadn’t studied in primary school before? And so, someone began with an attempt to answer the question but just as they seriously started reading the question, they found that it was basically different from what they had expected!

“Damn! What the heck! F**k!”

“What kind of math question is this?”

“There’s music?”

“Is this an elementary math question?”

“Can someone tell me what is the meaning of the question?”

“Is the first answer 1×3? Is it correct? F**k, I don’t know.”

“Are primary school students learning how to defy logic these days? It’s impossible to answer the question! Which teacher was so wicked to set such a wicked question?”

“Pfft, I’ve already given up!”

“Same here, my head is swelling!”

Then, the No. 2 Experimental Primary School teacher followed up with a post again: “Please note that this elementary math problem was set by our China’s famous mathematician, Professor Zhang Ye, today. And to give everyone an additional blow, the math question was for our students in the second grade at No. 2 Experimental Primary School. 93.2% of the students answered correct. Only two students in the whole class got it wrong while the rest of the students got it right!”

With that, the Weibo post was attracting a lot more attention and was getting livelier than before!

“What? Zhang Ye set the question?”

“Is it really an elementary math problem?”

“Since it was Zhang Ye who set them, then it must not be simple or straightforward.”

“It was needless of you to say that. How could a world-class mathematics expert set an ordinary elementary math problem? There must surely be many layers of profundity in it. I’m getting interested now, watch me solve it!”

“The percentage of right answers by the primary school students was more than 90%? I wouldn’t believe it even if you threatened to kill me! I don’t even know the meaning of this question! Primary students can’t possibly answer it! Even if they were elite students from a key focus primary school, they couldn’t possibly be smarter than an adult?”

“Watch me do it!”

“I’ll give it a try too!”

“I’m sure it can be solved, let me think…”

“I still won’t believe it!”

Gradually, the netizens’ kept posting their answers, with each one becoming weirder than the last!

Suddenly, some celebrities also showed up, some of them being Zhang Ye’s friends.

Yao Jiancai posted: “What lousy question did Little Zhang set!”

Peking University’s Teacher Su Na posted: “I’m so angry! *flips table*! I better continue teaching my Chinese language. The mathematics world is way too scary.”

Xiao Lu from Beijing Television: “Pfft, this question is really amusing, Ding Ding Ding? Ding Ding Ding? But I have to say, this is exactly what Zhang Ye’s style is like!”

Finally, the No. 2 Experimental Primary School teacher appeared again and revealed the correct answers. Needless to say, a few of the netizens really could answer it correctly, but the rest of the people, numbering in the thousands, got it wrong or did not manage to answer at all. This ratio left everyone in disbelief as they all wondered if those children from No. 2 Experimental Primary School students, who were more than 90% correct, were all f**king aliens. They adults were not as good as a group of primary students??

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t this absurd?”

“Was that teacher from No. 2 Experimental Primary School just spouting nonsense?”

“Are the children these days all abnormal like that?”

The netizens were all expressing their denial of this!

At this moment, Dean Pan of Peking University’s School of Mathematical Sciences, whether told by some students or had happened to chance upon this math question, also posted on Weibo—knowing that this was a trick question—and told everyone: “Hur hur, only Professor Zhang Ye can think of such devious questions. I can say for sure that this is really an elementary math problem but with a hidden catch somewhere in it. For a primary school student, it may not seem like a trap, however this is a trap that was specifically laid for an adult to fall into!”

When they saw that, everyone began to shout and clamor!

“Huh?”

“This was a trap for us?”

“Zhang Ye is really too wicked!”

“This guy has always had a character like that!”

“Pfft, I knew it! Teacher Zhang himself is already a trap! A trap of great proportions! Whoever gets involved with him will fall into it!”

“What kind of trap is it?”

“Dean Pan, can you kindly explain it?”

Dean Pan replied on Weibo: “The principle of this trap falls on the different thought process of an adult and a child. Adults easily complicate simple things, and this complication probably starts right off at the reading of the question. It is a subconscious thought process that children do not employ. Whether it is a musical note or an onomatopoeic word, it’s the same thing to them. These onomatopoeic words are basically meaningless to them, so they can easily see the essence of the question and solve it. From a certain perspective, a majority of adults might really be inferior to a primary school student at this and so would be unable to answer the question right.”

“So that’s how it is!”

“Holy shit, so that’s the reason!”

“I was still wondering!”

“Zhang Ye, this son of a bitch!”

“If he doesn’t con someone in a day, he will not feel comfortable!”

There was a wave of condemnation flung from everyone at Zhang Ye, as they laughingly scolded his wickedness!

Dean Pan posted: “It might look to be just an elementary math problem, but behind it lies some philosophies and reflections which are definitely not of the elementary level. Professor Zhang Ye is no doubt a rare genius in the mathematics world. This question is indeed very interesting. I have already copied it down and will prepare to use it for our Peking University students to try, and also to analyze it. For some problems and questions, if we change our perspectives and view it from a different angle, we may somehow get an unexpected result! Professor Little Zhang has let everyone know to never underestimate a simple-looking question at any time or any place! Because they might not be as simple as you think, but at the same time, they might also not be as complicated as you thought it to be!”

Ah?

Let the Peking University students try out the elementary math problem? And even analyze it in detail?

Dean Pan’s words were no doubt a very high appraisal of both this elementary math problem as well as Zhang Ye himself.

After seeing Dean Pan’s explanation, everyone began to understand and see the trick to this math question. Upon deeper reflection, everyone had no choice but to admire Zhang Ye’s talent, knowledge, and different way of thinking. An elementary math problem stuffed with many tricks—including philosophy, psychology, and even the importance of mathematics—with the key point being that it could also produce such a mass face-slapping effect on others? Perhaps in the whole of China, only someone like Zhang Ye, who could make something out of nothing, could come up with a question like that!!