Why 1+1 =2 on the 20 greatest equation list?

[_Mayday_]

1 + 1 = 2

The amount of times I have heard someone tell a joke saying 1 + 1 = 3 is sickening. This stuff looks complex, I think I will just accept that 1 + 1 = 2 I don't have the drive to work out why or how or when...

 

[CRGreathouse]

How about

epsilon_0=omega^omega^omega^...

i.e., the smallest solution to the equation

epsilon = omega^epsilon

Isn't that just a definition?

 

[dodo]

Which are the other 19, by the way? :)

 

[John Creighto]

Which are the other 19, by the way? :)

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/20407/1/pwpov2_10-04

 

[eastside00_99]

Isn't that just a definition?

ah yeah, of course. Well, never mind.

 

[lurflurf]

Just think of it… you would actually lose weight eating negative pie! Get hold of your sister OmCheeto, we're all going to be rich!

Oh, wait… nevermind… that would violate Newton's Law of Conservation of Pie.

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I think antipie sounds better.
Newton's Law of Conservation of Pie is safe.
The creation of each antipie requires the creation of an equal and opposite pie.
You would get even richer. You sell the pies and the antipies.

 

[John Creighto]

You would get even richer. You sell the pies and the antipies.

That sounds like a great idea :)

 

[CaptainQuasar]

I think antipie sounds better.
Newton's Law of Conservation of Pie is safe.
The creation of each antipie requires the creation of an equal and opposite pie.
You would get even richer. You sell the pies and the antipies.

As any good arms dealer or crack dealer knows, the ideal business model is one where you sell both the problem and the solution to the problem...

Perhaps there's an underlying phenomenon of quantum pie pair production, in which pies and antipies spontaneously spring into existence, whiz around for a little bit, and then annihilate each other in a collision. I hear that this is how Stephen Hawking was able to determine that black holes radiate energy and will eventually dissolve, because one day he looked up into the night sky and got hit with a pie in the face.

As an aside, a fascinating thing I learned recently is that there's a French word entarteur which means “One who throws pies in the faces of others.” J'Accuse, entarteur‼

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[Hydrargyrum]

Where exactly is this list?

 

[Diffy]

I'm doing assignment which concern the 20 greatest equation, but i can't figure out why 1+1=2 is in it?

Perhaps this footnote at the bottom of the list can provide some insight:

"These equations are listed in order of the number of people who proposed them. The first two received about 20 mentions each out of a total of about 120; the rest received between two and 10 each. Equations are given, where appropriate, in their most common form."

The equations on the list are from people's suggestions. I think in any poll like this, whether it be entirely of mathematicians or not, you will always have people say something like this. While everyone is sputtering off beautiful equations like Euler's, you will have some giggling jokers say "1+1=2" because of how simple it is compared to all the others.

(in no way am I implying that 1 + 1 = 2 isn't beautiful or important, nor do I wish to debate whether or not it is or isn't -- I don't really care -- it just takes less mathematical knowledge to understand this equation when compared to some others on the list)

As a computer science minor I personally believe that 1 + 1 = 0

 

[John Creighto]

As a computer science minor I personally believe that 1 + 1 = 0

As a CS major I thought you'd say 1+1=11

 

[CaptainQuasar]

As a CS major I thought you'd say 1+1=11

Oh, sorry to be picky but that's 1+1=10.

As in the good old,

“There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who can read binary, and those who can't.”​

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[Diffy]

Oh, sorry to be picky but that's 1+1=10.

As in the good old,

“There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who can read binary, and those who can't.”​

⚛​

right and 10 + 10 = 100, but if you only had two bytes 10 + 10 = 00, just like if you only had one bit 1 + 1 = 0.

I was assuming one bit.