90% Fail to Answer This Correctly!

1+1+1+1+1
1+1+1+1+1
1+1x0+1=?

What do you think the answer is? What do you think about the solution provided? Did you come up with 30? 2? None of the above?

Music Credit: Disfigure
Song: Blank
Licensed Under Creative Commons

[danameier]

I'm a math professor and I'm letting you know that you cannot separate a 2+ digit numbers like that .
The number has to be displayed as a whole. if you can't fill the "9 character space" with the number 11 like that, then you move on to the next space. That's what happens in Microsoft Office word. When you type in the number 11 or 111 or and the number exceeds the allowed characters in one line it shifts the number to the next line. So whoever invented this puzzle has insulted mathematics and mathematicians.
Similar with words with one syllable. "Knife" for example cannot be displayed as "kni
fe"
That's just stupid.

[PROzmoSTU]

Most importantly you cannot write eleven by separating the digits.

[TheBlackSage]

You guys in the comment section have actually restored my faith in humanity or at least human intelligence.

[Alternamaton]

The answer is 2, because the first two lines are not part of the equation. No one breaks up a two-digit number with a newline character. The question might as well be:

"I like chese
Dogs are cute
1 + 1 X 0 + 1 = ?"

The answer is still 2.

[haxic]

When you specify a mathematically correct problem you do not leave things up to assumption. The problem below is correct:
1+1+1+1+1
1+1+1+1+1
1+1x0+1=?
But, since it has been specified mathematically correct, what you see are 3 separate rows where the last row gives 1+1x0+1 = 2.

If you do not have enough space and you want to mathematically correct specify the above problem such that it would give 30 and where the maximum line length is 9 then you could write for example :
1+1+1+1+
11+1+1+1+
11+1x0+1=
?

[berean]

The answer is 2.  If it was supposed to be a single equation then the way it was expressed in multiple lines is completely invalid thus unsolvable. You can't separate a 2 digit number (LOL!)  and if you do split up the equation you have to show its relation to the previous line (+, -, or whatever it is, you can't just assume or run it together).  The first two lines are stand alone expressions, the only equation there to be solved, question to be answered, is in the 3rd line.

[plastic]

100% Fail to ask the correct question! The first two lines require no result and don't affect the third line either, because there is no '+' or anything that 'connect' the lines with each other.
The only calculation has to be done in the third line, so 1 + 1 x 0 + 1 = 2

[Bcosmo]

Came here after I saw this quiz circulating on Twitter. I was hoping this vid would confirm my answer of 2 (which is correct), but to my surprise they showed me yet another completely NEW wrong way to interpret it lmao. Why would you assume your number wraps to the next line. Imagine if people at NASA were this ambiguous with their math equations... Good job everybody!

[normanhmath]

If there is an answer, the answer is 2. It turns out that the first two lines are expressions each of which evaluates to a value of 5. The third line is an open equation with an expression on the left side 1 + 1x0 + 1 and a question mark on the right side. The question mark is an unknown which must be replaced with a numeral which represents the same number as 1+1x0+1 . Using the order of operations {that's PEMDAS, BODMAS, BIDMAS, BEDMAS, or BEMA to some of you}, you find this to equal 1+0+ 1 = 1+1, which still has the same value it had in K or 1st grade of primary school. This is a 2. However, I like Paul's Point that there may not be an answer, the assertion, "this is garbage" . This video and the orginal maker of the puzzle insist the answer is 30. A 30 answer requires an ASSUMPTION of line conconcatenation. A line concatenation assumption is justified if either directly specified in directions, OR the problem is presented on a device such as a calculator or a word processor screen which is known to concatenate lines of text. There is absolutely no context to these three lines to tell us that a line concatenation is to be assumed.. It could be as justifiable to make the assumption that three lines of vertical numbers are to be added giving us expression 5 + expression 5 + expression 2 = sum 12. That would be an equally flawed assumption because you need a vindulcum {underline} under a column of numbers to justify an assumption of addition in the absence of explicit + signs AND you cannot have one of the numbers {like our third line here} set equal to something when it is part of a column of numbers to be summed{added}. Accountants use that assumption and practice frequently. Those who think the answer is 1 failed order of operations for evaluating expressions. This problem, whether it is called math, a riddle, or a puzzle is presented with the ASSERTION - 90% Fail to Answer Correctly. To even claim that some fail, we must establish that there is even criteria to evaluate an answer as good, correct, or successful and that there is an alternative of a group of answers that are incorrect, wrong, lacking the attributes to make the answer a suitable or successful response to the question. At least one commenter asserted the author may employ "poetic licence" and asked the math professor not to look at it as math. If you allow "poetic licence" then ANY ANSWER given has that poetic license and you have ZERO failures, all answers have some merit. If we are going to set a standard for success, and there are no clearly stated, then that standard must be a standard consistent with educated common understanding. Two numerical expressions, followed by an open equation are math. If it is math, then what is solved must be solved by the established rules of mathematics for evaluating expressions and solving open equations. Solving, or answering is Finding a numeral to replace the question mark. That answer is 2. It may be more complete to say that the two additional expressions evaluate to 5, but not required. It is strange that the two 1+1+1+1+1 expressions appear within the problem. Some think it is unjustified to ignore those expressions. If it is true that those expressions should exert an influence on the solution, then there is NO SOLUTION and the entire problem is garbage. We may be able to assert that 100% fail to answer correctly because there is no correct solution. It is hard to know, but if this has a correct solution at all, that solution is 2.

[kilimal]

I'm just here to sell popcorn to those who are just here to read the comments.

[jeremycowan]

You can't split a number on two lines! If you're going to use improper mathematical notation, then we could interpret it all sorts of ways and anything goes.

[elizabethstanley]

love that this makes you think outside the "norm" but keep the standard rules of maths. We have all misread puzzles - but the whole point is to have some fun while we got some right and get some wrong - and that's ok.
30 was my answer
Assuming each line is independent of the next summed together will give you 12
Type this in a calculator (that pops brackets from the 1st 1 to the last but one 1) will give you 1.
This takes me back to answering a degree exam in pure maths on what and why there are 3 answers to 0/0 - 3 perspectives give 3 different answers.
Appreciate and understand each one is key - this problem is similar in nature.
Love your little video AssetRover

[comekakos]

im sorry to tell you but you can't write a number like 1
1.. this is not 11!!

[jitt]

Judging by the amount of space the sentence "90% fail to answer?" occupies, I honestly don't think that the first line would run out of space to fit "11". Correct me if I'm wrong.

[lucasqin]

in the video it says that the answer is 30! which is equal to 30*29*28 .... *3*2

[j_freed]

This seems to caution one to not make assumptions, but to take a step back and analyze the whole picture, and determine both what's relevant and connected and only then determine a logical sequence of action, where it is required.

Not the mind we usually think in, and so we make illogical decisions in life that are not efficient.

[TheAvalonCompany]

You need to change this into a purely algebraic equation, then solve using proper mathematical practices:

x+x+x+x+xx+x+x+x+xx+x0+x=y

In this example, if x=1 then y=10

[polishpaul]

AssetRover, have you EVER considered checking your question and answer with a mathematician, one with at least with an elementary or high school LEVEL education?

[slamaina]

The first two lines are expressions that can be simplified. Since they are identical the simplify as follows:
1+1+1+1+1
Through the Associative Property of Addition we can add theses in any order and simplifies to:
5

The third line is an equation which can be solved.
1+1x0+1=?
Using the Order of Operations (some use PEMDAS or BEMDAS to remember the order), since there is no parentheses/brackets or exponents, the think to do in the multiplication. 1x0=0 (Zero Property of Multiplication):
1+0+1=?
Through the Associative Property of Addition we can add theses in any order:
2=?

[LiquidWolf]

This is why you follow standard format in math.

It isn't a puzzle, this is a math teacher trying to figure out what a student wrote down.