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# 2+2=5? Some Common Methods And Historic Relevance

18 Sep 2020 863 12 minutes

A wise man once said that it is not a great idea to let people beat your friend for mangoes so that you can rat them out to prove that two plus two equals five to your professor.

Next time, surely they won’t be looking for you for your advice.

Explaining the tricks which prove two plus two is equal to five won’t be a great math assignment help, but showing how to prove these methods wrong will surely be of help.

There some easy ways and complicated ways to prove this, but all of them have some commonsensical hole in them. For instance, take this method.

## Method 1 :

This is the simplest and most foolish idea to prove 2+2 =5,

Take 0 = 0,

Now, replace 0 with the subtraction of two numbers like 4 and 10,

We can write, 4 - 4 = 10 - 10,

You know, 4 = 22 and 10 = 2x5,

Using these,

=> 22 - 22 = 2x5 - 2x5,

=> (2 - 2) (2 + 2) = 5(2 - 2), which leaves

=> 2 + 2 = 5, how simple right?

This means  or, which is undefined in maths because,

1. 0 divided by any number is 0, but
2. Any number divided by itself is 1

Still don’t know what’s wrong in this; let’s expand this idea till it tears apart.

Take, 0 = 0 = 0, now with above logic,

=> (9 - 9) = (15 - 15) = (51 - 51)

=>(32-32) or (3 + 3) (3 - 3) = 5(3 - 3) = 17(3 - 3), which gives us,

=> 6 = 5 = 17,

This means that you can prove any number is equal to a different number, and that is illogical. This happens because 0 multiplied by any number is 0; therefore, 0/0 can be any number and hence is undefined.

This was simple to unscrew, but there are more complicated ways that are tough to break down.

## Method 2 :

Look at this solution,

The solution looks promising, and convincingly proves that two plus two becomes five.

Can’t find a fault in this?

This basic understanding that the square root of any number has two values (negative and positive) and it should be taken into consideration while using the above method.

But, mavericks who want to turn maths into a game without logic are hell-bent on proving it using different tricks. Here is the variable method.

## Variable Method :

Variables are used in algebra to solve math problems and can be assigned any value. People use this trick to prove two plus two is equal to five because subtracting two variables won’t give zero as an answer.

Let’s assume, a = b

Now, multiply both sides by a,

=> a x a = a x b,

=> a2 = a x b

Subtract b2 from both sides,

=> a2 - b2 = a x b - b2,

=> (a + b)(a - b) = b(a - b),

Cancelling (a - b) from both sides gives us,

=> a + b = b

As we have assumed that a = b, it can be written as

=> b + b = b, or

=> 2b = b,

Cancelling b from both sides, we get

=> 2 = 1

And adding 3 to both sides gives us

=> 5 = 4 = 2 + 2

Now you will say an emphatic ‘hence proved,’ but wait, isn’t it a bit odd?

Let see what is wrong with this proof. We have assumed a is equal to b in the first line, therefore (a - b) = 0. Now, canceling is a form dividing the same parts and replacing it with one. But as we have already explained that 0/0 is not equal to 1 and is an undefined entity. This method is also a fallacy.

Like using variables to give it a false legitimacy, one can also use geometry to prove this. It provides a convoluted answer, which fell apart when you draw the diagram based on the instructions provided.

## Triangle Trick :

Here we won’t go into the mango example as it is lame even to consider. Also, some try to prove it using the right angled-triangle without explaining to the reader that their main consideration is false. They use similarity rules in the triangle to prove that the side of size 4 is equal to the side of size five. But, this can’t be done because a similar angle doesn't mean that the sides' length is also equal. When you are working on a 3-4-5 triangle, the angle bisector and perpendicular bisector will meet outside the triangle. So, good luck drawing perpendiculars on its sides.

Why are people so hell-bent on proving that two plus two is equal to five when it’s not. This takes us to the origin of the phrase and the ideology it defines.

## What is the context of the phrase?

The term was first used to describe the philosophy of English Socialism in George Orwell’s 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was used to describe the state of the country where the ruling class had full control over its people. They can state a false statement, and everyone else will believe that it is true. They also made people believe in the statement like ‘war is peace.’

When the people have surrendered their perception of the world to the ruling class, it doesn’t matter to them what is truth and what is false. The term is seldom used to describe a political situation where the propaganda is so strong that the people lost interest in reality and are convinced by everything that comes out of propaganda machinery. It is also used to describe the anti-intellectual ideology of some past leaders like Hitler.

It is also used for religious beliefs, which are beyond reasoning and have unquestioned support of the followers. It was used by an Italian Catholic priest while he was contrasting mathematics and religion in 2017. Wikipedia was also criticized using the same term when it launched its model of focusing on popular knowledge by letting anybody edit its content. It was said that the departure from expert knowledge on the website would result in common people editing the site, and it can result in two plus two equals five kinds of a situation.

This phrase is also used in the business world while describing a merger between two companies. It implies that there are great prospects of growth with both companies coming together. It is used to raise investor sentiments in corporate meetings. It is also used in advertising to exaggerate the qualities of a product.

The phrase is always used for situations that are unexplained, propaganda, false narrative, advertising, or exaggeration from reality. That is why it seems easy to prove two plus two is equal five when you don’t analyze it closely by applying logic and brain.

## Two Plus Two Is Not Equal to Five

While in maths, it is used for fun, but its ideological implication in real scenarios is dangerous because of its association with things that discourage logical thinking like religion. It is used for propaganda by dictators to spread a false narrative of the glory of the regime and national pride. Also, businesses use this theory to lure customers in using their services, which turn out to be a mere figment of what was advertised. Companies use this theory to overcook their growth projection for securing investments.

This brings us to a place that we ask ourselves how to figure out these tricks and implement the information gained in our work. With us, you can find many such misconceptions employed by tricksters to gain false praise.

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## Why Global Assignment Help Australia Is the Best Choice for Math Assignment Help?

We have disproved the common tricks used to prove 2+2=5. Also, we have explained the significance and implication of this phrase. This makes us apart from the rest as we take math seriously and don’t fall for misleading tricks.

The team of math experts working with Global Assignment Help Australia is highly qualified in the subject. Many students have greatly benefited from our math assignment help and excelled in life. Few features that make us stand above the rest:

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So next time, do not fall for such tricks. You can find many interesting math assignments if you explore & buy assignments from us more.

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