Current location - Training Enrollment Network - Mathematics courses - How did a math problem drive the world crazy?
How did a math problem drive the world crazy?
How does a middle school math problem drive the world crazy?

This list can be very long. Using "Cheryl's Birthday" as a key word in Google News, English media coverage has exceeded 170.

When is Cheryl's birthday?

So what exactly is this question? Simply translate:

Albert and Bernard have just become Cheryl's friends. They want to know her birthday. Cheryl gave 10 alternative dates: 5. 15. 16, 5. 19, 6. 17, 6. 18 and 7.65438+. One of them is her correct birthday.

Cheryl then told Albert the correct month (not the date) and Bernard the correct date (not the month).

Then there is a conversation between Albert and Bernard. Albert: I don't know when my birthday is, but I know Bernard doesn't know either. Bernard: I didn't know before, but now I know. Albert: Then I know now.

Here comes the question: When is Cheryl's birthday?

Netizen scratched his head: Lahei Cheryl

In addition to actively solving problems, there are also netizens who have opened their minds and spit out Cheryl's mystery. ...

Netizen RK: don't bother. Try asking Cheryl again. Bring her a rose this time.

Netizen ching-ching: directly add Cheryl as a friend on Facebook, and she will inform you when she fills in the birthday information.

Netizen Mike Scheid: My 12-year-old child solved this problem in 30 seconds. She picked up her iPhone and found the answer on Twitter.

Netizen Damian Sanaghan: It took me some time to finally solve this problem. I am now studying for a master's degree in mathematics. Is this really the topic of 1 1 year-old children?

User Kirsty Edwards: She doesn't look like a good friend.

Netizen Tim Poon: It sounds like Cheryl wants to make life harder.

Netizen Chan KH: Cancel paying attention to Abbott and Binard, Lahey Cheryl.

Netizen Yeo Hwee Tell: Tell Cheryl that there will be no birthday cake if you don't say your birthday directly.

Netizen Zorlu Senyucel: This is not a math problem! ! This is a communication problem!

Netizen Elfy Bianca Hassan: I thought about Cheryl's birthday for a long time. Albert and Bernard soon fell in love and forgot Cheryl.

Netizen mrbrown: Albert and Bernard went out for a few drinks, compared the relevant information and decided that it was not worth wasting time for Cheryl and her birthday.

Bian Xiao said that he had encountered this problem in primary school or junior high school. The protagonist at that time was not Cheryl, but probably Xiao Ming. ...

How difficult math problems do children need?

Netizen Evon Chi wrote a long paragraph behind Jiang's post: Please don't put so much pressure on our children! In fact, for them, what they learn at school now will be useless after 80%. Why do you have to fix such a difficult thing? Not all children are geniuses. Most children need some teaching guidance, which puts them under greater pressure. Students in grade five study physics, and students in grade six study physics. We have really become a joke in the eyes of westerners. Western children prefer social life to academic pressure. Do you want your children to become bookworms or receive more social skills training? Think about it, Ministry of Education! ! !

This is a very representative view. Afterwards, the organizers of the Mathematics Olympics in Singapore and Asian schools issued a special statement, pointing out that this was a question in the competition exam on April 8 this year, and it was aimed at students around 15 years old, instead of 1 1 years old as previously reported. This question is the penultimate question of the whole test paper, which is intended to screen better students. The target group of the competition is the top 40% students, and most of the topics are designed to test the students themselves.

The executive director of the organizer also defended that the logical and analytical thinking used in this question is useful in daily life.

But in the final analysis, 15-year-old children are exposed to such a difficult topic. Is this educational strategy appropriate? This is probably the deep-seated reason why western media pay attention.

Generally speaking, the math level of Asian teenagers exceeds that of European and American students. At the end of 20 13, the organization for economic cooperation and development (programme for international student assessment) released the survey results, and Asian countries took the lead in mathematics projects, with China and Shanghai ranking first. This survey tested more than 565,438+00000 students, covering 65 countries and regions, targeting students aged 65,438+05.

Another famous example is Britain. The British government requires all children to learn the multiplication table within 12 before they graduate from primary school. However, in February this year, when asked by a reporter "How much is 9×8", Cameron chose to avoid this question. Earlier, someone asked the Minister of Education, but when asked "What is 1 1× 12", she said that she would not answer anything.

We often see the news that foreigners learn China's educational methods, and we often hear the statement that "China can't train Nobel Prize winners in science through education". Does this kind of education lay a good foundation for students or stifle creativity? This issue was inconclusive in the past, and I am afraid it will not be in the future. Adults who participate in the discussion may feel a little depressed because they can't answer the questions besides reflecting on education. ...

When is Cheryl's birthday? Have you worked it out?