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Q&A

Comments on Can we add without using addition?

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Can we add without using addition?

+2
−6

Is there a formula that applies $a + b = c$ without addition. I tried many times to make such equation.

Here's what I have in mind, we get 2 values, call them $a$ and $b$. The objective is to get the sum, without using addition at all. What does "no addition" mean here? Basically, you can't use the addition operator in the equation. In fact, subtracting the additive inverse of $b$ to $a$ still counts as using the addition operator. No $\sum$ either.

So what else? "I tried many times to make such equation." Here's an example I did with $2 + 3 = 5$:

$$2 + 3 = 5$$ $$2 \times 3 = 6 \ne 5$$ $$6 - (3 - 2) = 6 - 1 = 5$$

So I thought $(a \times b) - (b - a)$ was plausible, but then I tried $3 + 6 = 9$:

$$3 + 6 = 9$$ $$3 \times 6 = 18 \ne 9$$ $$18 - (6 - 3) = 18 - 3 = 15 \ne 9$$

I haven't tried division yet because it can result to decimals, and we all know how fuzzy they are.

If it is even possible, can you get 2 values to result to their sum without any form of addition?

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3 comment threads

Generally it doesn't make any sense (1 comment)
You used addition in your proposed method. (2 comments)
Unclear what ‘pretty much just addition’ forbids (2 comments)
Unclear what ‘pretty much just addition’ forbids
r~~‭ wrote over 2 years ago

Any expression that yields the result of addition seems like it would be pretty much just addition. But, for example, perhaps you'd be happy with something like $\ln{e^a e^b}$? If not, maybe you could be clearer about what you would and would not accept.

General Sebast1an‭ wrote over 2 years ago

r~~‭ I think I got the gist. Seems clearer enough now.