What went wrong

Level 1

Step 1: $0^2 = 0 \times 0$

Step 2: $\frac {0 \times 0}{0} = 0$ Cancelling out the bottom and one of the top zeroes.

Step 3: But $0^2 = 0$ and $\frac {0}{0}$ is undefined.

0 = undefined!!!

What went wrong?

Step 1 The Universe imploded Step 2 Step 3

3 solutions

Sanghamitra Anand
Feb 9, 2014

The second step itself is undefined! We can't cancel out zeros and we'll get the same answer as in step 4. Moreover, (0 x 0)/0 cannot be taken, since, division is not necessary here, to solve the problem.

Yes, dividing any value (either real or complex) by $0$ is completely an illegal mathematical operation and is not a valid step.

Prasun Biswas - 7 years, 4 months ago

Yup.

Finn Hulse - 7 years, 4 months ago

That step is still under research...!

Sanghamitra Anand - 7 years, 4 months ago

Prasun Biswas
Feb 9, 2014

Dividing anything by $0$ is mathematically impossible and incorrect. In Step 2, $\frac{0\times 0}{0}=0$ which was done by cancelling $0$ from both numerator and denominator is mathematically incorrect.

So, the wrong step is = Step 2

Aritri Chatterjee
Feb 9, 2014

when 0/0 is undefined , we cannot afford to write 0X0 /0 = 0 that is step 2.

What went wrong

3 solutions

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