Algebra Math Riddles Collection

A collection of Algebra Math Riddles for fun and pleasure! Tease your brain with these riddles, then click to show or hide the answer. (Note: You may need to enable JavaScript on your browser for the answers to show properly.)

Also visit our Math Trivia page for more arithmetic riddles, geometry riddles, statistics riddles, calculus riddles etc.

Algebra

1. Why didn’t the Romans find algebra challenging? Because X was always 10.
2. How do we know that the following fractions are in Europe? A/C, X/C and W/C ? Because their numerators are all over C's.
3. What do you get when you combine Einstein and Pytahgoras discoveries? E m c² = m ( a² +  b² )
4. How do you expand (a + b)²? (a            +            b)           ²
5. How would you prove that 2 = 1? If a = b (so I say)                                        [a = b]
   And we multiply both sides by a
   Then we'll see that a²                                  [a² = ab]
   When with ab compared
   Are the same. Remove b². OK?                 [a²− b² = ab − b²]
   Both sides we will factorize. See?
   Now each side contains a − b.                     [(a+b)(a − b) = b(a − b)]
   We'll divide through by a
   Minus b and olé
   a + b = b. Oh whoopee!                                [a + b = b]
   But since I said a = b
   b + b = b you'll agree?                                 [b + b = b]
   So if b = 1
   Then this sum I have done                          [1 + 1 = 1]
   Proves that 2 = 1. Q.E.D.
   Written by PeterW
   
   (Just in case you're wondering - the above proof is incorrect because in step 5, we divided by (a - b) which is 0 since a = b)

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