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

Sabre; Nancy Mace
@bottleneckloser/Instagram, Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project

Trans Influencer Speaks Out After She's Randomly Targeted By Nancy Mace Online

A trans influencer fired back at MAGA Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina for mocking her about her trans identity on social media and subsequently making her vulnerable to attacks.

Sabre, whose Instagram handle is @bottleneckloser, posted a video stating that the lawmaker "bullied" her recently for being "hot on Twitter.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

YouTube Becomes Unlikely Hero After Play Button Is Perfectly Placed Over Musk's Face

Call it kismet or divine intervention, but sometimes the fates align to inadvertently create something wonderful.

Or hilarious.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Jim Jordan
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

GOP Account Hit With Blunt Reminder After Shaming Dems For Celebrating Tesla's Downfall

Minnesota Democratic Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz joined many Americans in a bit of schadenfreude regarding White House advisor Elon Musk’s recent reversal of fortune.

Musk, the self-described leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen protests against his actions on behalf of Republican President Donald Trump. Part of those protests include Tesla owners getting rid of their vehicles, buyers boycotting the brand, and stockholders dumping their shares.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Zegler
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/GettyImages

Rachel Zegler Claims 'White Executives' Questioned Her Latina Heritage During 'West Side Story' Casting

Actor Rachel Zegler claimed that skeptical producers questioned her Latina heritage during the casting process for the 2021 West Side Story remake directed by Steven Spielberg.

In the remake of the classic 1961 film adaptation, Zegler starred opposite Ansel Elgort as the star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Hilariously Melts Down Over Awful Portrait Of Him Hanging In CO State Capitol—And People Can't Stop Trolling Him

People can't help but troll President Donald Trump after he complained about a truly awful portrait of him hanging in the Colorado State Capitol building.

On Sunday night, Trump lashed out against Colorado Governor Jared Polis for hanging what he called a "purposefully distorted" portrait of him in the Colorado State Capitol building.

Keep ReadingShow less