Can anyone answer this 'maths' question??

[koalalou]

It's Maths Week at DD's school and DD has been sent home with a list of questions - most she enjoyed working out but one we cannot fathom at all! (they have been told it's okay to ask family members to help as well as use the internet - so I thought I'd ask on here)

Question is as follows:

This sum is not correct 5 + 5 + 5 = 550
Can you make the sum correct with the addition of just one stroke? (Note: the answer is not to coross the equals sign to make 'not equal to'!)

I really have no idea what the answer is

Yes I can.

Turn the first plus sign into a 4 with one stroke.

Because I have seen it before.

I was trying to find a way to give a hint rather than the answer but there you go :o

Me too

No

Change the first plus sign "+" into a "4".

Gives 545 + 5 = 550.

Ah :)

Er...I said that ages ago Patricia!

ooh thank you!

Sorry Feenie, yes, I had the thread open for a minute or two before replying and you got there first!

Sorry, Soupdragon - clearly I have no subtlety

Is that really maths? It reminds me more of those jokes we used to get in our stockings at Christmas. I thought maths was a discipline where the notation had already been agreed beforehand.

DD's homework probably more 'logic' or 'reasoning' than maths - still, it was a lot of fun to do. Very much along the lines of 'playing with numbers' rather than conventional maths.

I think the really smart child might answer with... 'I could make it into a four if you wish, however it will be too small and it won't look very good will it?!'

8O)