Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Test Your Math Skills: How Many Triangles Can You See?

Test Your Math Skills: How Many Triangles Can You See?
@jiteshpillaai/Twitter, @sonamakapoor/Twitter

Do you see them all?

Twitter users were presented with a math challenge on Monday when they were asked to count the number of triangles in an image.


Here is the picture, which was posted to Twitter Monday morning by journalist Jitesh Pillaai. Clearly, this is going to drive some people absolutely crazy.

First, it depends on how each person looks at the image. Pillaai never provides audiences with the "true" solution, so let's go with my answer: 20. Note: I fully acknowledge that I am probably wrong, but we need to start somewhere.

There is an obviously divided triangle, but that my not be the only factor one must consider. The text, which reads "How many triangles?" can be outlined by a right triangle. One could also presumably count the word "triangles" as part of the solution, too. So right off the bat, we can say there are three clear triangles.

But where it gets tricky for some involves the sub-triangles inside the large one. By my count, using basic geometry which I totally bombed in high school, there are 18. A couple of Twitter users who are probably smarter than me agree with this.


This one is a bit messy, but it gets the point across.

So, we have 18 triangles within and including the main shape, the word "triangle," and the text asking how many triangles there are, bringing the total to 20. Perhaps this is reaching, but the instructions are pretty nebulous, and technicalities are fun.

Twitter users were pretty well split on how to attack this existential crisis-inducing problem.

"The fact that people actually sat down with Pen & Paper to solve a random Twitter riddler, should be enough impetus for the government to better utilize this generation and create some jobs, before it goes complete rot!"

Fair enough. One person pointed out that in theory, you could divide each triangle into smaller and smaller triangles, leaving an infinite regress of unending three-sided shapes. But, since the triangle is divided for us, this is speculative at best. And mean.

"If you're dividing those four-sided shapes into triangles, then by that logic you can divide the triangles themselves into more triangles. So the cycle would really never end."

Others just gave up entirely. Some answers might make you question the future of the human race.

Seven? Really? How?

Not sure where nine comes from, either, unless they gave up halfway through. Yabba dabba stay in school.

Fifteen isn't a terrible guess, but no.

No idea how there could be 24, either.

So there we have it. It's either 18 or 20, as far as I'm concerned. Or something else entirely. The world may never know. This is why I studied music.





More from Trending

Raphael Glucksmann
Stephane de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images

French Lawmaker Suggests The U.S. Return The Statue Of Liberty In Fiery Takedown Of Trump

Republican President Donald Trump frequently brags about how respected the United States is under his leadership. But while some authoritarians seem to enjoy having Trump at the helm, reality is far different than the tune Trump sings.

During a speech at the French center-left political party Place Publique's congress in Paris on Sunday, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Raphael Glucksmann voiced his feelings on the Trump administration's actions since the January inauguration.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Southwest Airlines plane
Southwest Airlines Hit With Major Backlash After Announcing End To Free Checked Luggage
Kevin Carter / Contributor/Getty Images

Southwest Airlines Hit With Major Backlash After Announcing End To Free Checked Luggage

If one thing gets in the way of people booking that much-needed vacation, it's the sheer cost of it.

That's one reason many people have opted for the budget-friendly Southwest Airlines when traveling domestically in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eric Stonestreet
Stewart Cook/NATAS via Getty Images

Eric Stonestreet Has Been Cast As A Serial Killer On 'Dexter'—And 'Modern Family' Fans Are Shook

Every now and then in an actor's career, if they're lucky, they get to really branch out with a character totally different from what they usually play.

And you pretty much can't get a better example of this than Eric Stonestreet, best known as lovable gay dad Cam on Modern Family, playing a bloodthirsty serial killer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tori Spelling
River Callaway/Billboard via Getty Images

Tori Spelling Reveals She Never Drinks Water Due To Bizarre Childhood Fear Of Liquids

Former Beverly Hills 90210 actor Tori Spelling let fans in on a little secret about her aversion to drinking water.

"First of all, I don't drink water, which, if you know me, you know me, and you know that's just crazy weird," she divulged on a recent episode of her misSPELLING podcast.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bowen Yang; Lady Gaga
Las Culturistas

Lady Gaga Has Iconic Reaction After Bowen Yang Apologizes For Referring To Her As 'This B*tch'

Lady Gaga expressed that there were no hard feelings with SNL star Bowen Yang after he called the multi-award winning international pop icon and LGBTQ+ advocate, a "b*tch."

In fact, she was flattered.

Keep ReadingShow less