You know those math questions that go around the internet and if you're able to solve them then your a genius?
I mean we either and easily solve it or it just drives us crazy trying to figure it out!
Well this viral math question is no exception.
It has asked participants to "think outside the box" in tallying up the numbers, because there are TWO correct answers.
Apparently, only one in 1,000 people can figure out the second correct solution.
Can you?
Still stumped?
Here's some helpful clues for the first equation:
For the first solution, most people will start with 1 + 4 = 5.
Then, you'll add 2 + 5 to the sum of the equation above (5), giving you a total of 12.
You'll follow the same process for the next line: 3 + 6 = 9 and add 9 to the sum above (12) to get 21.
Then calculate 8 + 11 which equals 19, and add that to 21, which equals 40.
While the first equation answer is 40 by adding each equation with the sum from the previous equation, there's a second solution to the problem that's also correct.
Can you figure that out?
Here's how to solve the second solution:
If you multiply 4 x 1 and then add 1, you'll also get a solution‚ of 5. Following that rule for the other equations, you'd compute 2 + (2 x 5) + 12. Then, 3 + (3 x 6)= 21. And 8 + (8 x 11) which equals 96.
As one Facebook user, who correctly solved the puzzle, explained his work: "The '+' is just a symbol that is being used and we are accustomed to adding the two numbers that sit on either side of the symbol.
So in this case the '+' symbol means you multiply the two numbers then you add the first number to that result."
The pattern is multiply the second number by the first number then add that answer to the answer in the above equation.