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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)
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+3
−0

Yes, we can.

log(10^x * 10^y)

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2 comment threads

Bravo, a very imaginative answer. But does this really avoid addition? Lets say I want to compute 1+2... (1 comment)
Now *that*'s the kind of answer I'm looking for. (2 comments)
Now *that*'s the kind of answer I'm looking for.
General Sebast1an‭ wrote about 3 years ago

Now that's the kind of answer I'm looking for.

Peter Taylor‭ wrote about 3 years ago

General Sebast1an‭, when r~~ gave essentially the same answer in comments saying that it wasn't clear whether it was what you were looking for, your response was much more lukewarm.