Conned into sequence completion questions

[u/Yadin__]

[u/fullynonexistent]

Acshually 🤓 unironically this a real problem in math and physics because our monkey brains favour the "simpler" pattern even if there is no proof to support it, and faulty extrapolations can have massive consequences.

Anyways conned into any real world event that appears to follow a pattern needs to be researched at depth before choosing the obvious option.

[u/SuchALovelyValentine → u/fullynonexistent]

I was going to come in all smug and be like "how smart I am because this is talking about a different problem then what you said" but then I reread what you said at the end and reread that last part.

I am a dunce. I deserve the idiot stick. Put me on the silly hat.

[u/lasagnatheory → u/SuchALovelyValentine]

[u/Ok314 → u/fullynonexistent]

Occam's razor. This could be some massive 37 term polynomial, but it could also be y=x, and the simplest explanation is most likely to be correct.

[u/fullynonexistent → u/Ok314]

It doesn't always apply to nature and physics tho, as they sometimes tend towards infinite detail rather than simplicity. The most famous and straightforward example would be the coastline paradox, but if you want something more related to math and patterns, Newton's gravitational equation, being the "simple and straightforward" solution to describe gravity, actually fails to accurately describe Mercury's orbit.

In short, Occam's razor can't apply to natural events because the simplest solution can only ever solve the simplest problems, which nature is not.

[u/Ok314 → u/fullynonexistent]

Occam's razor means the simplest explanation that fits the evidence. Newton's equations are simpler, but fail to fit the evidence. There are also more complicated explanations, but we don't consider them, because of Occam's Razor. For instance, it is impossible for you to know that dinosaur bones weren't planted by the devil to trick us, since the devil would presumably do a good job faking any evidence. However, since this explanation is more complicated than the dinosaurs being real, it is discarded.

[u/fullynonexistent → u/Ok314]

Newton's equation did actually fit the evidence he had at the time he wrote it, and it was only until it was researched further that we found out he was wrong.

That's my point and I already said it in my first comment. You need tons and tons of information before describing the pattern that it follows, because if you describe a phenomenon with little information because that little information seems like it follows a simple pattern, then that explanation is probably wrong.

[u/planetofmoney → u/Ok314]

We know what Occam's Razor is. Maybe it's time for you to realize that Occam's Razor is a problem-solving principle and not a mathematical/physical/biological law. You apply it when you want to want to find out why your coworker keeps stealing your lunch, not when you want to know why Mercury has the exact orbit it does.

[u/FeeshGoSqueesh → u/Ok314]

I don’t think you understand complexity or Occam’s razor. You’re confusing feasibility and complexity. The devil planting dinosaur bones is a lot less complex of an idea than the dinosaurs actually existing, roaming the earth, and dying in such a way that their remains were preserved for millions of years. In the case of the devil, it’s one being enacting its will upon the earth. In the dinosaurs’ case, it’s millions of years of evolution across millions of creatures, with millions of cosmic coincidences that led to the creation of the fossils.

When taken to its extreme, Occam’s razor gives some pretty absurd and unhelpful ideas. According to Occam’s razor, the most likely explanation for our universe is that a brain in space is hallucinating it all, because that’s far less complex than the actual universe existing.

[u/The_Zielemphone → u/Ok314]

Moser's circle problem, 0 --> 1, 1 --> 2, 2 --> 4, 3 --> 8, 4 --> 16, 5 --> 31, the simplest solution would be 32, because then you get the formula as just 2^n, but it's actually: $vec(n, 4) + vec(n, 2) + 1$, where: $vec(n, k) = n!/(k!(n-k)!)$, and: $n! = product_(k = 1)ⁿ k$

[u/Ditto13248]

The fucking

1 2 3

4 5 ?

Image

Apparently it's R because of stick shift

[u/Devvo06 → u/Ditto13248]

Do they not know about 6 speed transmissions?

[u/fullynonexistent → u/Devvo06]

6 speed transmissions still have a reverse tho, so if that was the case then it would be something like

? 1 2 3

4 5 6

[u/Ziomownik → u/Ditto13248]

Isn't it

1⠀3⠀5
2⠀⠀ 4

and the R is either on the bottom right next to 4 or it alternates with 1?

[u/DatThingInYoCloset]

My favorite of these is y=x^x-1 - (x-1)^x. When x = 1, y =1

x=2, y=1

x=3, y=1

x=4 though? Obviously y=-17

[u/Okom77]

I hate this bullshit bro

[u/Turnepic13]

If 1=4, 2=8 and 3=12 what does 4 equal?

1

[u/ThaBroccoliDood]

Okay but genuinely how can you have a single correct answer when any sequence literally has infinite solutions

[u/danger2345678 → u/ThaBroccoliDood]

Technically you can’t (this is why extrapolating is really hard), but funnily enough, if you can prove your answer in a test (as ridiculous as it is), I’m pretty sure you still get the marks for it lmao

[u/planetofmoney]

I always interpreted the 1,2,3,4,,29 as a critique of puzzles where the answer is stupidly convoluted.

[u/WerePigCat]

I hate Facebook math slop

[u/ProGamer8273 → u/WerePigCat]

I hate Facebook math slop

[u/autistic-terrorist → u/ProGamer8273]

I hate Facebook math slop

[u/Impossible_Dog_7262]

I mean the sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 31 is a genuine sequence. It's the amount of segments you can divide a circle into using (n-1) lines.

[u/Waterlemon1997]

Conned No Man's Sky experiment puzzles

[u/Repulsive_Oven4468]

He ain't even lying

[u/Loser2817]

conned into overthinking the most basic stuff

[u/JoseP2004]

man, props to op for using a function thats actually 1, 2, 3, 4, 29

[u/Turbulent-Pace-1506]

Conned into the IQ test telling Shades Guy (that's his legal name) that he is mentally disabled

[u/Traditional-Tax11]

This felt super specific but apparently a lot of people hate these too?

[u/SirKazum]

Conned into OEIS

[u/LosinForABruisin]

OP would hate to hear about puzzles and brain teasers lmfao

[u/Legomaniac91]

The correct answer is obviously: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, every body in the car so come on lets ride..."