The unexpectedly hard windmill question (2011 IMO, Q2)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
  • The famous (infamous?) "windmill" problem on the 2011 IMO
    Help fund future projects: / 3blue1brown
    An equally valuable form of support is to simply share some of the videos.
    Special thanks to these supporters: 3b1b.co/windmillthanks
    Home page: www.3blue1brown.com
    The author of this problem was Geoff Smith. You can find the full list of problems considered for the IMO that year, together with their solutions, here:
    www.imo-official.org/problems...
    You can find data for past IMO results here:
    www.imo-official.org/
    Viewer-created interactive about this problem:
    / interactive_windmill_v...
    And another:
    aalluri7.github.io/windmill/
    I made a quick reference to "proper time" as an example of an invariant. Take a look at this minutephysics video if you want to learn more.
    • Spacetime Intervals: N...
    Thanks to these viewers for their contributions to translations
    Hebrew: Omer Tuchfeld
    ------------------
    These animations are largely made using manim, a scrappy open-source python library: github.com/3b1b/manim
    If you want to check it out, I feel compelled to warn you that it's not the most well-documented tool, and it has many other quirks you might expect in a library someone wrote with only their own use in mind.
    Music by Vincent Rubinetti.
    Download the music on Bandcamp:
    vincerubinetti.bandcamp.com/a...
    Stream the music on Spotify:
    open.spotify.com/album/1dVyjw...
    If you want to contribute translated subtitles or to help review those that have already been made by others and need approval, you can click the gear icon in the video and go to subtitles/cc, then "add subtitles/cc". I really appreciate those who do this, as it helps make the lessons accessible to more people.
    ------------------
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ความคิดเห็น • 6K

  • @rigira
    @rigira 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29211

    “I know what you’re thinking, those do happen to be all prime numbers”
    nah I wasn’t thinking that

    • @Paddy656
      @Paddy656 4 ปีที่แล้ว +869

      I don't even know what a prime number is.

    • @OguriMichiyo
      @OguriMichiyo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +330

      @@Paddy656 Numberphile (a YT channel I've been following for years) has plenty of videos regarding prime numbers. You should check them out! Long story short a prime number can only be divided by itself and by one. So 2,3,5,7,11,13 are some examples.

    • @paritoshagarwal8840
      @paritoshagarwal8840 4 ปีที่แล้ว +532

      @@OguriMichiyo its a joke . Everyone knows what a prime no is

    • @GMPranav
      @GMPranav 4 ปีที่แล้ว +144

      @@OguriMichiyo it's joke but I agree about what you said about Numberphile.

    • @Paddy656
      @Paddy656 4 ปีที่แล้ว +502

      @@OguriMichiyo Don't patronise me, nerd.
      Everyone laugh at the nerd

  • @SlackwareNVM
    @SlackwareNVM 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11818

    The clicking sound when a point gets hit is really satisfying.

    • @anshulagrawal633
      @anshulagrawal633 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      no it is very annoying a much softer bump sound would be better

    • @dylogysminter
      @dylogysminter 4 ปีที่แล้ว +143

      you are so right i love it!

    • @timr3682
      @timr3682 4 ปีที่แล้ว +143

      Reminds me of the sound of a Geiger counter

    • @stepexgd6628
      @stepexgd6628 4 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      Go watch 3blue1brown's collision video

    • @Psi105
      @Psi105 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@timr3682 That's why the radiation sign looks like a windmill

  • @ojotabe3
    @ojotabe3 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2972

    "If a made up windmill prepares you for a real problem, who cares that it's a fiction?"
    Wise words man

    • @ifukill7538
      @ifukill7538 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      A constant.... People need to remember this....

    • @mayurtummewar3312
      @mayurtummewar3312 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It tells why you do maths

    • @rajeevagrawal7609
      @rajeevagrawal7609 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @Logan Post +1 and the image was so exquisite, it is my wallpaper now :)

    • @bait5257
      @bait5257 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      F

    • @babosanders5223
      @babosanders5223 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      that gave me chills. beautiful words

  • @QuintessentialWalrus
    @QuintessentialWalrus 3 ปีที่แล้ว +354

    I can't help but think the reason so many participants struggled with this problem is because it's so difficult to visualize. The graphics in this video make discovering the solution seem almost obvious, but with a pencil and paper? And a question written in that kind of language? It's very far removed from what you typically see in the study of mathematics.

    • @meiz1795
      @meiz1795 3 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      it's not really that hard to visualize, just draw a few points and use your pencil as the spinning line. Such language is nothing unusual for competitive math and while it might be true that contest math and school math are 2 entirely different things, problems you usually solve at school usually involve using some formula or definition you've learned recently which is far too easy and you can't really call that a challenge, which a competition, especially one like IMO, is supposed to be.

    • @armagor4828
      @armagor4828 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      It is actually very hard to visualize.
      Stating it's easy won't make it easier. Doing it on paper is cool but it take a lot of time if you want to try different starting line And starting points like in the video.

    • @aoyuki1409
      @aoyuki1409 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

      i think they can visualize it, but using pen and paper to turn imaginary visual into practical visual would take a lot of time so they prioritize other questions, and because Q3/6 is harder it probably took the biggest chunk of time.

    • @duckymomo7935
      @duckymomo7935 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Actually I think people confused the wording ANY point vs a point in which I would’ve gotten it wrong since ANYONE point is not true
      Also a windmill process is not obvious at all

    • @duckymomo7935
      @duckymomo7935 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Actually apparently the #2 scorer thought the problem was too trivial but he didn’t write more than a 2 line solution and 2 lines can never grant full 7 points shrug

  • @maltml
    @maltml 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4709

    Came for 3Blue1Brown, stayed for 5Blue5Brown

    • @gregoryfenn1462
      @gregoryfenn1462 4 ปีที่แล้ว +192

      WhatYouDidThere is a subset of ThingsISee

    • @unflexian
      @unflexian 4 ปีที่แล้ว +180

      I'm more of a 4Blue4Brown1Pivot guy myself

    • @Sooyush
      @Sooyush 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      LoL

    • @SF-fb6lv
      @SF-fb6lv 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      That is actually really really good!

    • @SS-iz9vo
      @SS-iz9vo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Can someone explain?

  • @spicyjew6777
    @spicyjew6777 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5624

    Came for the video, stayed for the dope clicking noises

    • @andymcl92
      @andymcl92 4 ปีที่แล้ว +135

      I only hope you haven't yet watched the bouncing blocks videos so that you can go away and discover them anew!

    • @tamarisauce1278
      @tamarisauce1278 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      ASMR? I feel ya

    • @veganworldorder9394
      @veganworldorder9394 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Came for the videos, came for the noises

    • @panstromek
      @panstromek 4 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      oh, yea man, spin that line faster, I need more clicks

    • @WangleLine
      @WangleLine 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      *click click*

  • @tacticaltaco7481
    @tacticaltaco7481 4 ปีที่แล้ว +419

    I paused this video months ago trying to solve it. I ran into all the traps you listed out after giving about the solution, and ultimately gave in and watched the video. This is one of the most unique failures I've had when trying to solve a problem and an incredible lesson. Thank you.

    • @infinitum-repertorium
      @infinitum-repertorium 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

      As Grant said in the chessboard video, puzzles are a rare gift and it takes ages to forget the solution. Cheers mate! You've inspired me to not give up on hard problems.

    • @duckymomo7935
      @duckymomo7935 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      I thought they meant any point which makes it so that it is possible to never touch a certain point

  • @Danny-qh4su
    @Danny-qh4su 3 ปีที่แล้ว +179

    The click every time the pivot passes off is god tier

  • @vohehuli
    @vohehuli 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5724

    After watching the video:
    1. I still don’t know the answer
    2. I still don’t know the question

    • @GirGir183
      @GirGir183 4 ปีที่แล้ว +520

      The whole crux of the maths problem was...Thin line go round and round. Little dots go clickey clickey. That's my reading of it anyway.

    • @lampie2946
      @lampie2946 4 ปีที่แล้ว +205

      @@GirGir183 BIG BRAINNN

    • @quentinrizzardi1763
      @quentinrizzardi1763 4 ปีที่แล้ว +386

      It's not explicitly laid out in the video, but the video gives us all the needed information:
      - the video has proven that if you take a point and line that "cut" the set in half, then when you rotate 180 deg both halves are inverted (all the blue points are now brown, and vice-versa). It only works if you cut the set in half "perfectly" (with a little cheat when you have an even number of points) though.
      - following the same logic, after you've gone 360 deg you're back to your original position.
      - now, an important point made in the video is that the *only* way for a point to switch sides (become brown when it was blue and vice-versa), is to first become a pivot.
      - so that means that when you've travelled 180 deg, since every single point is now a different color, they *must* have become a pivot at a point or another (otherwise they would still be the same color). So here we've proven that there is a combination of "starting point +line" that hits every single point.
      - and, when we've travelled 360 deg, we're back to square one - which simply means that as we continue turning, we're going to do the same pattern indefinitely, hitting all the points over and over again. So, not only are we hitting every single point; we're hitting every single point an infinite number of times.
      There's not really an equation to describe this, or at least not an easily palatable one. You're better off writing a logical statement. A condensed version of what I've said above, which I believe would be accepted as an answer, could be: "for a set S of 2n+1 points (odd number), there is a point P in S through which we can trace a line that has exactly n points on each side (for a set of 2n points (even number), one side has n-1 points). Since the change of pivot results in a "side switch" for the previous pivot point, and that when the line has rotated 180 degrees, every point that was previously on the left of the line is now on the right, and vice-versa, then it must be that every point has been the pivot at least once. After a 360 degree rotation, the system will reset, and we can conclude that each point of S will undergo pivot and switch an infinite number of times."

    • @BuckFieri
      @BuckFieri 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Well the question was displayed, so perhaps you meant you didn't comprehend the question. Of course, I'm just teasing because when I first saw the question I was rather confused as to what it wanted myself.

    • @Red-Rocket221
      @Red-Rocket221 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      @@quentinrizzardi1763 bravo, that was amazing.

  • @John.0523
    @John.0523 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7005

    See Y’all In 5 Years When This Is In Everyone’s Reccomended

    • @silasmaurer7835
      @silasmaurer7835 4 ปีที่แล้ว +56

      yep

    • @bluezzz9916
      @bluezzz9916 4 ปีที่แล้ว +157

      I hope i get a girlfriend by then

    • @jdkwlalos9
      @jdkwlalos9 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      It's how I found this video lmao

    • @dietcocaine220
      @dietcocaine220 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Bluezzz same

    • @MusicalInnovations
      @MusicalInnovations 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Already happening and I'm a piano channel

  • @maxliu2587
    @maxliu2587 3 ปีที่แล้ว +261

    I remember attending a math camp and my instructor was one of the contestants of the 2011 IMO and he got this question on the test. This has one of the best solutions that I’ve seen

  • @haxney
    @haxney ปีที่แล้ว +49

    On the "social" point, I've noticed this phenomenon in all sorts of things I've taught to people: programming, dance, woodworking, video games, etc. For human beings, it seems like an essential part of learning something is forgetting what it was like not to know that thing.

    • @timothydestiny3865
      @timothydestiny3865 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      True. I have experienced this many times when learning. I don't know whether you're religious or not, but this reminds me of Isaiah which says "Forget the things of old; behold, I will do a new thing...".

  • @johannesbrahms3322
    @johannesbrahms3322 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4429

    3Blue1Brown: "I guess I will try to exite people with this maths problem"
    Internet: "thAt CLickIng nOISe Is SatiSFyIng"

    • @J_to_the_F
      @J_to_the_F 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Honestly I get scared of gama-rays when hearing this😆

    • @shawncaton9489
      @shawncaton9489 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      There is no 's' in math. Why do people keep spelling it with an 's'?

    • @joemcclinton9001
      @joemcclinton9001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      @@shawncaton9489 I think it was numberphile that covered it in a vid. If I remember correctly, it comes from most (English speaking) Europeans considering mathematics as a plural and translating it to the shortened version "maths".

    • @SniperSX
      @SniperSX 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@shawncaton9489 There are a lot of "S" in math, because math it's plural, just because a new born country thinks it's singular, the rest of the world disagrees, and no, Europeans don't just "Consider it Plural", the word IS plural, even without the "s".

    • @SniperSX
      @SniperSX 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@shawncaton9489 mathematic (n.)
      "mathematical science," late 14c. as singular noun, mathematik (replaced since early 17c. by mathematics, q.v.), from Old French mathematique and directly from Latin mathematica (plural), from Greek mathēmatike tekhnē "mathematical science," feminine singular of mathēmatikos (adj.) "relating to mathematics, scientific, astronomical; pertaining to learning, disposed to learn," from mathēma (genitive mathēmatos) "science, knowledge, mathematical knowledge; a lesson," literally "that which is learnt;" from manthanein "to learn," from PIE root *mendh- "to learn."
      As an adjective, "pertaining to mathematics," from c. 1400, from French mathématique or directly from Latin mathematicus.

  • @agharmasri1065
    @agharmasri1065 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3336

    “You want to believe a result before you try too hard to prove it”
    Excellent!

    • @sambishara9300
      @sambishara9300 4 ปีที่แล้ว +99

      Mathematicians are anti- science confirmed

    • @Kahitar
      @Kahitar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Best take-away from this video for me!

    • @arthurg5966
      @arthurg5966 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@Kahitar can you give me timestamp I missed it

    • @malbacato91
      @malbacato91 4 ปีที่แล้ว +91

      this goes well with "if you can't prove something is true - prove it is false and the find your mistake"
      those two are probably the only way I'm able to cope with college level maths

    • @netbotcl586
      @netbotcl586 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @@sambishara9300 Why is that anti-science? Scientists have to make hypothesizes before trying to prove (or disprove) them.

  • @hurbig
    @hurbig 3 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    Now I know why my university adjusts the grading scale according to the number of points students were able to get. I always thought it is to limit the number of people who pass since the first year is a sort of entrance exam. Now I think it is reasonable to think that sometimes a problem is just way harder than they anticipated so they are more merciful on grading that one.
    I am often amazed by the fact that we are expected to be able to prove theorems that mathematicians a few decades ago were unable to proof and I am just a student. Of course, it is easier for us because we know that it is provable and we know that we probably need to use the tools that were presented to us in the course, but a few mathematicians died without ever seeing the solution to this problem.

    • @andrewjuby6339
      @andrewjuby6339 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I had an astronomy 101 professor whose tests were 10 questions each worth 10 points. He told us that the only way to get a perfect score on a question would be to answer it as thoroughly as he would, which is why 50% was an A.

  • @purvanshbhatia6631
    @purvanshbhatia6631 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    after watching your videos for a year, i’m baffled at how you consistently explain not only the solution to a math problem, but the process of thinking for an entire topic within math. Props

  • @Zanaki113
    @Zanaki113 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2299

    3Blue1Brown: "A question that anyone could understand."
    Narrator: "The viewer could not understand."

    • @bcn1gh7h4wk
      @bcn1gh7h4wk 4 ปีที่แล้ว +81

      freeze frame, black and white, and background voice.
      "It was not, in fact, understood."

    • @dmitryclarke2127
      @dmitryclarke2127 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That made me chuckle

    • @wisdomwielder
      @wisdomwielder 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I read that in Morgan Freeman's voice

    • @Zanaki113
      @Zanaki113 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@wisdomwielder perfect lol

    • @commentconnoisseur1001
      @commentconnoisseur1001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@wisdomwielder I read it in Ron Howard's.

  • @MaxxTosh
    @MaxxTosh 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3889

    For your 2M subscriber special, can we see you tackle an IMO problem you’ve never seen before, to see how your brain works without having a ton of time to animate and think? You are incredibly insightful!

    • @3blue1brown
      @3blue1brown  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1785

      Hmm...intriguing idea...

    • @pianoforte611
      @pianoforte611 4 ปีที่แล้ว +128

      Love this idea.

    • @JustDawdling
      @JustDawdling 4 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      3Blue1Brown agreed!

    • @danielm3772
      @danielm3772 4 ปีที่แล้ว +117

      Understanding the way you handle a problem from the beginning would be extremely interesting, please do it !

    • @0xDEAD_Inside
      @0xDEAD_Inside 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Like 'Mathematics Train'

  • @AmbivalentVermilia
    @AmbivalentVermilia 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    오늘 도파 방송보고 왔는데 자기가 진짜 바쁘다 or 현직 문과다 하는 사람들을 위한 요약
    앞에 7:54~9:00부분은 도선생님이랑 봤으니까 따로 1번 더봐 그래야 감 좀 올듯
    9:21~10:10 회전중심으로 선을 2등분했을 때, 방향은 시계방향으로 고정이니까 위쪽부분의 선은 무조건 오른쪽 점에 닿고 아래쪽 부분의 선은 무조건 왼쪽 점에 닿음 그리고 닿았을 때는 무조건 색이 바뀌고 닿아야 바뀜(이제 전문용어로 필요충분조건이라고 하지요?)
    10:11~11:28 180도 돌렸을 때 직선을 180도 돌리면 똑같은데 이제 앞에 조건을 다 만족하려면 처음회전중심=180도 돌렸을 때 회전중심 이여야함
    이 때 180도 돌았기 때문에 처음이랑 비교했을 때 왼쪽 오른쪽 색만 뒤바뀜.
    근데 색이 뒤바뀌었다는 뜻은 곧 만났다는 뜻이니까 따라서 이 앞부분 7:54부터 나오는 중심은 무조건 문제의 조건을 만족함
    11:29~12:40 점 개수가 짝수일 때는 회전중심에도 색이 있다고 가정하고 똑같은 과정을 하면 됨
    이 때 180도 돌면 회전중심만 색이 바뀌고 위에 점 개수 홀수일 때랑 상황이 똑같음
    12:40~14:09 이 문제가 주는 교훈중 첫 번째: 대충 머리속에서 선이 돈다고 생각했을 때 왠지모르게 ㅈ밥같아보이는 무언가가 생김-> 문제가 쉽다고 생각함 but 영상 앞에서 보여줬다시피 이 문제는 괭장히 어렵고 이 문제 낸 사람들도 난도조절 실패함.
    실제로 수학업계 종사자들은 자기가 하고있는게 얼마나 어려운지 감을 못 잡는다고 함(이 영상 제목의 이유)
    14:10~14:55 무언가 고정돼있는 고정값이 중요하다
    14:55~끝 수학 문제는 실생활을 푸는데 중요하다 이런 개 무쓸모같은것들도 언젠가 필요해질 수도 있다.
    졸려서 글이 잘 안써져서 ㅈㅅㅈㅅ.. 이해안가면 좌표찾아가서 보셈
    +이더리움 화이팅

    • @user-gi1sj5ms3z
      @user-gi1sj5ms3z 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      그래서 답을 적을라면 어떻게 적어야하나여~?

    • @fermiona0513
      @fermiona0513 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@user-gi1sj5ms3z 저 위에 베댓 중에 있어요 영어가 딸려서 직접 찾아보심이

    • @bait5257
      @bait5257 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      What an insightful comment.

  • @shreyjha1974
    @shreyjha1974 3 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    I liked how you added a philosophical aspect to this problem because what you said at the end is so true. Your solution seemed easy to me, but then again how would I know to go with that solution, and how would I know to look for a constant.

  • @vincent-ls9lz
    @vincent-ls9lz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3828

    my boy georgios getting a perfect score in the single hardest question that only 0.01% got a perfect score on, but then getting a 0 on the one 60% did. rip

    • @spotifyhd890
      @spotifyhd890 4 ปีที่แล้ว +523

      It probably took him to much time, so he had no time left for the other tasks

    • @zafarb4219
      @zafarb4219 3 ปีที่แล้ว +191

      it's 1% not 0.01% btw

    • @saidalas7763
      @saidalas7763 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      greek kid

    • @jeconiahjoelmichaelsiregar7917
      @jeconiahjoelmichaelsiregar7917 3 ปีที่แล้ว +216

      @@spotifyhd890 Question 1-3 and 4-6 are given at 2 separate days. The irony being pointed out is that Georgios Kalantzis (4:58) got a 0 on question 2 but a perfect 7 on question 6 (the hardest question) the next day.

    • @kkounal974
      @kkounal974 3 ปีที่แล้ว +120

      A true Geometry lover, my prof at school was one of the people that "trained" the greek math team, he was very proud of kalantzis.

  • @lokoroko1234
    @lokoroko1234 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8602

    Let's just take a minute to appreciate how much effort was put into creating such a well animated video.

    • @chondrya942
      @chondrya942 4 ปีที่แล้ว +113

      I know; I always wonder how educational channels make animations like this

    • @lamusicadepedrovicente
      @lamusicadepedrovicente 4 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      this conversation sounds like an intro to an ad for an animation program

    • @Uluc994
      @Uluc994 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@thomashorne2607but there's no good tutorial videos I guess...

    • @frosturation2474
      @frosturation2474 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@Uluc994 you can check out TheoremOfBeethoven channel for manim tutorial

    • @Human-gu2cx
      @Human-gu2cx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Szymon Duniecki expect what he calls brown looks more gray but that doesn’t really matter

  • @efulmer8675
    @efulmer8675 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    3Blue1Brown
    As a non-mathematician I greatly appreciate the Don Quixote reference you made at the end of a very satisfying mathematical puzzle. I love your videos. You provide just enough information in one moment that I can make the stab at your next point before you quite get there in your video. Very satisfying, even when I get it wrong, but especially that one or two times I've actually gotten it somewhat right.

  • @smollilnub3644
    @smollilnub3644 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +34

    Fun fact (I think this is correct) but apparently Lim Jeck (the 2nd place scorer) saw this problem as trivial and gave a 2 liner for it and hence got 5 marks which is insane. He apparently missed 2 marks because there was no way a 2 liner answer could get full 7

    • @Bukki13
      @Bukki13 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +30

      if he actually managed to fully explain that in 2 lines he should’ve gotten those 7 points
      length should ideally never be a factor
      i think the reason is because you can’t fully explain it in 2 lines

    • @faland0069
      @faland0069 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      what did he say? can we find it anywhere?

    • @UmarAli-tq8pl
      @UmarAli-tq8pl 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@Bukki13 Depends on what you mean by "fully explain". Everyone has different opinions on what that truly means.

  • @justinlumpkin1874
    @justinlumpkin1874 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1346

    Yes I was definitely thinking "101, 563 and 2011? Those are all prime numbers"

    • @billyosullivan4514
      @billyosullivan4514 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      That is the joke

    • @Ibegood
      @Ibegood 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Hey! We almost have the same last name. Sorry, but it's rare to find another xD

    • @chanceencounter176
      @chanceencounter176 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yep haha definitely (cough)

    • @normmacdonaldrules4602
      @normmacdonaldrules4602 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah..."Lumpkin and Lumpkins" could definitely be a cop show.

  • @helloimnisha
    @helloimnisha 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3394

    *All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.*
    Galileo Galilee

    • @hacherskanon3082
      @hacherskanon3082 4 ปีที่แล้ว +179

      *quantum physics enters the chat

    • @Toksyuryel
      @Toksyuryel 4 ปีที่แล้ว +93

      @@hacherskanon3082 The truth of quantum physics isn't difficult to understand, just difficult to accept. The truth is that quantum mechanics doesn't simply model reality, it IS reality. Copenhagen, Everett, and other "interpretations" are all attempts to deny this reality by trying to explain it in terms of the "reality" our eyes show us, and to invent explanations for the things our eyes can't see but which we know are there, and it is this process which introduces all of the confusing and strange elements of modern quantum physics which cause it to seem difficult to understand. People have a tough time accepting this, because mathematics is a tool invented by humans with arbitrary rules we chose and it feels really weird to think of it as something which exists on such a fundamental level.
      It'd be interesting to see someone attempt a proof of this principle: that any system of mathematics which can be proven to be consistent and can be shown to accurately model reality is functionally identical to any other system of mathematics which meets the same criteria. This would show that mathematics has more in common with language, in that you can always convey the same ideas even if the words are different, which would show that it exists on a much more fundamental level than merely being a human creation.

    • @meisterlix
      @meisterlix 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Did he know organic chemistry tho?

    • @x.x-JoJo-x.x
      @x.x-JoJo-x.x 4 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      Galilee must be the Chinese copy of Galilei.

    • @darknez09240
      @darknez09240 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@x.x-JoJo-x.x lmao

  • @rembo96
    @rembo96 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    7:58 I was trying to solve it myself, but I could not, and after seeing just this single frame I understood everything. Of course you still need to see that every dot has changed color, but the first idea is the hardest and the most important. Beautiful.

  • @mohammadaminarab2617
    @mohammadaminarab2617 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I found your channel yesterday. The animations, explanations, and the problems are amazing. I'm really enjoying it.

  • @AaronxBergmans
    @AaronxBergmans 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2549

    *4.5 hours pass by*
    Lisa Sauermann: Oh nice perfect score
    Me: *still frantically drawing a connect the dots picture of a bunny*

    • @tiecelin9425
      @tiecelin9425 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      You sir, are a genius

    • @Phantom914
      @Phantom914 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      A B : 1, Math Guys : 0!

    • @GirGir183
      @GirGir183 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It just goes to show us, once in a blue moon a girl will do better at maths than a boy. But that's about how often, no more than that.

    • @wes4439
      @wes4439 4 ปีที่แล้ว +93

      @@GirGir183 incel detected lol

    • @GirGir183
      @GirGir183 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      No. It's just what I've observed around me in the decades I've been alive.

  • @benjaminblackwell222
    @benjaminblackwell222 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2308

    The inclusion of the animated graphics makes this much easier to understand. It’s good to remember that the kids taking the test didn’t have this advantage. Anyway fantastic videos they let my feel smarter than I am.

    • @blasecube
      @blasecube 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      ... I'm the only that tough on using a pen to simulate the line?

    • @elijahanitalis3425
      @elijahanitalis3425 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@blasecube No

    • @Alfaomegabravo
      @Alfaomegabravo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I´m of the opposite opinion, nothing will me make feel dumber than comparing myself to the very best you can find on this planet.

    • @siinxx7656
      @siinxx7656 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Welcome Homo VIdens. You're the living proof of how we "evolved" into a new kind of stimulae analysis.

    • @Jokervision744
      @Jokervision744 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Did they have rulers? Enough paper to make one out of it?

  • @mskiptr
    @mskiptr 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    So for the past half year, from time to time I was trying to approach this problem from different angles - mostly related to convex hulls. Even though I did not manage to solve it on my own, the experience was really nice and I've come up with some cool reasoning.

  • @cyanozoid2706
    @cyanozoid2706 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Beautiful video. Beautiful channel. You have no idea how inspiring your videos are to me and so many others. I think your content goes far beyond mere tutelage, far beyond helping people trying to pass mathematics classes. I'm no mathematician, far from it, but your videos give me no other choice than to conclude how beautiful this complex world is, even when the outside world can be chaotic. Thank you, Grant.

  • @DeltaWither
    @DeltaWither 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1725

    Is this problem hard?
    Well yes, but actually no, but actually yes

    • @Fins-T
      @Fins-T 4 ปีที่แล้ว +82

      Can you solve it?
      Well no, but actually yes, but actually no

    • @Wouterdobbels
      @Wouterdobbels 4 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      @@Fins-T Can you solve it? Only after 3Blue1Brown gives an excellent proof including awesome animations.

    • @mathymathymathy9091
      @mathymathymathy9091 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      With some problems like this, how hard you find them depends a lot on how quickly you get the right idea. If you get it, it seems trivial. If not, it can take hours. I didn't find this problem particularly difficult, and that was similar to 2018 Problem 3, where I got a key idea very quickly.

    • @DeltaWither
      @DeltaWither 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@mathymathymathy9091 k

    •  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mathymathymathy exactly, I didn’t really find it extremely difficult either but it all comes down to finding a setup in which the solution is obvious!

  • @user-dw8lv6sy2y
    @user-dw8lv6sy2y 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    사람들은 자신의 이해를 확실시하기 위해서 혹은 증명하기 이해서 다양한 문제들을 만들어 냅니다. 그 중에서도 이 영상에서처럼 국제적인 수학 협회에서 만든 문제를 풀어볼 기회가 생겼다는 사실이 영광입니다. 이런 문제를 소개해주셔서 감사합니다.

  • @iamasquidinspace
    @iamasquidinspace 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2093

    As a physics student, I really appreciate the take-away message of "look for an invariant". Really good advice!

    • @JaredJeyaretnam
      @JaredJeyaretnam 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      MiSta BlackJack Me too! I’m about to start a physics PhD and throughout my undergrad nothing has been more important in solving problems than invariants. No surprise that my favourite mathematician is Emmy Noether - whose theorem laid out the basis for finding generalised invariants in physics!
      Right now I’m working on my masters project (I graduated in July but the project didn’t quite get to where I wanted it too, so I’m putting in some more work this summer) and the one thing that’s really stumping me is calculating a particular sort of invariant called a Chern number (you might have heard of them, but if you haven’t they’re the invariant in the quantum Hall effect for example).

    • @greatad2405
      @greatad2405 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      but you can never stick to only one concept, no matter how attractive it was the last time you met it.

    • @GODofTimewaste2
      @GODofTimewaste2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      As someone who will start studying physics this fall... Any good last minute tips?

    • @ashtonduda9971
      @ashtonduda9971 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Darklorddestroyer14 you sit on a throne of lies darklord, olympiad my ass.

    • @milandjuric8043
      @milandjuric8043 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yep

  • @DutchDread
    @DutchDread 4 ปีที่แล้ว +589

    It's obvious....in hindsight.
    Give that shit to me without this explanation and I'd just stare for 10 years.

    • @tollboothjason
      @tollboothjason 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      That's the beauty of this problem. The solution is rather simple, but coming up with the solution on one's own, as Miss Sauermann did, takes considerable insight.

    • @goyonman9655
      @goyonman9655 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      😂😂😂😂😂

  • @mastergamer591
    @mastergamer591 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Math always was difficult to grasp. Visualizing and correlating what the function means visually makes it much more stable and grounded to show what the function defined is trying to outlay. It’s like seeing the alphabet for the first time associated with each word - rather than a word trying to focus on what the word is trying to say rather than starting with the letters. Thank you - this method of conveying math makes the difference between trying to keep up versus having it visualized so it’s easier to grasp. I was never shown this way of learning in any schools growing up.

  • @doctorrodman3872
    @doctorrodman3872 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I love the videos where you explain math questions that where given at real math competitions. This video inspired me to start taking Math Olympiad much more seriously, I would love to see another video like this!

  • @varunmundale4627
    @varunmundale4627 4 ปีที่แล้ว +818

    Nobody:
    3blue1brown: I know what u r thinking... Those do happen to be prime numbers

    • @terner1234
      @terner1234 4 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      I DEFINITELY thought that, yeah.

    • @chaosredefined3834
      @chaosredefined3834 4 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      @@terner1234 I didn't get that far. I was trying to figure out why the number of participants wasn't 606. 101 countries, 6 participants per country. Then I realised, oh right, people might have fallen sick.

    • @terner1234
      @terner1234 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@chaosredefined3834 I didn't even think about the numbers, I just made a joke, it's good you even got that far

    • @SukoSeiti
      @SukoSeiti 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@chaosredefined3834 more like, not all countries had the money to send their competitors.

    • @Urdailyapple
      @Urdailyapple 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      unfunny format

  • @3blue1brown
    @3blue1brown  4 ปีที่แล้ว +2270

    (Edited) A few people ask "but what is the formal solution?". Take a look at this writeup, which you'll find is essentially the same as the video. It would get you full marks on the test: artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php?title=2011_IMO_Problems/Problem_2
    The fact that an argument doesn't reference equations and sets doesn't necessarily make it incomplete. Sure, you could explicitly define what words like "left" and "right" refer to by defining such and such cross product with such and such parameterization of the line, but for most readers, it wouldn't actually remove any ambiguity. The purpose of formality is to make all the terms used unambiguous to all readers, not to dress up the language to involve sufficiently many symbols. If you understood this video, you understood the full solution.

    • @randomdude9135
      @randomdude9135 4 ปีที่แล้ว +74

      Please do a series on Groups, rings and fields 🙏🙏🙏

    • @milevaeinstein2199
      @milevaeinstein2199 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      💞💞💞.

    • @chamelious
      @chamelious 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Is there a part 2 to this one where you give the actual answer?

    • @anandsuralkar2947
      @anandsuralkar2947 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Cool

    • @chamelious
      @chamelious 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @Thomas Wilkinson Err, because no solution is given?

  • @Coldcloves
    @Coldcloves 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Great animation and analysis of the problem..
    A huge congrats to Lisa for solving all the problems perfectly.. i see no comment here praising her for this stunning feat..

    • @kalevala29
      @kalevala29 4 วันที่ผ่านมา

      mathematicians are not generally prone to praise. I think a good term would be captious, a concise way to convey the idea of someone who habitually criticizes and finds flaws. Or maybe just nitpicks.

  • @ranveergupta4
    @ranveergupta4 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    An appreciation would be much less for such type of videos. It just blew... Mathematical passion brings you here and what vibe this channel gives is always a real pleasure to have! Thanks for such a beautiful video.

  • @kasperjoonatan6014
    @kasperjoonatan6014 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5115

    Ok so Lisa didn't have beautiful youtube graphics so how did she write the proof ?

    • @thelostdonkey1585
      @thelostdonkey1585 4 ปีที่แล้ว +760

      Drawing dots on a scratch paper, putting her pencil on the dots and spinning it around, recognizing the pattern that repeats

    • @user-kh5tv9rb6y
      @user-kh5tv9rb6y 4 ปีที่แล้ว +888

      @@thelostdonkey1585 That's how she figured it out, but that doesn't suffice as a rigorous, pointworthy proof.

    • @anthony1003
      @anthony1003 4 ปีที่แล้ว +268

      @@beerus553 And they say that girls are dumb at math.

    • @user-eg6xu7cr8e
      @user-eg6xu7cr8e 4 ปีที่แล้ว +175

      This is still a descriptive solution, not a mathematical one.

    • @kasperjoonatan6014
      @kasperjoonatan6014 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      @@user-eg6xu7cr8e yes, but it is ok if it is correct and logical. would mr. Spock say :)

  • @DarthChrisB
    @DarthChrisB 4 ปีที่แล้ว +752

    “You want to believe a result before you try too hard to prove it”
    I finally understand flat earthers.

    • @hamsterfromabove8905
      @hamsterfromabove8905 4 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      I mean that's how every theory works. You see an observation and you decide what you think it means. From there you decide you believe your own theory. You then need to announce or publish your theory. From there its just a matter of defending your theory from any and all logical and rational attacks. If someone presents you with an
      relevant observation your theory can't account for then you have one of two options. You can either accept your theory is wrong or you can accept your theory is currently incomplete. Flat Earthers have failed to defend their theory, thus it is not widely accepted.

    • @SangerZonvolt
      @SangerZonvolt 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @John Smith
      Or you could look for obvious flaws in your theory. Or try and look if there is another already made theory that is mutual exclusive with your own and try to disproof that one first. If you can´t, there is a good chance your own is wrong.

    • @josephcagle
      @josephcagle 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@hamsterfromabove8905 did you watch the flat earth documentary on netflix?

    • @RyogaEchizen
      @RyogaEchizen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      but i dont understand trangenders though lol

    • @sarahmchugh4169
      @sarahmchugh4169 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      No, flat earthers actually "research" their stuff. Most aren't uneducated, so they aren't so easily convinced to change their minds from starting off believing the Earth is a globe, to thinking it's flat. The problem is, that since they think they are educated, they think they are capable of doing their own research, and they think that they have covered all their bases with whatever messed up "science" they have, they think they have tested this rigorously. This of course, would have to be coupled with a strong ability to conjure conspiracy to even consider that what everyone else knows as fact isn't actually true.

  • @hallu6666
    @hallu6666 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Extraordinary exposition. This is how love for mathematics is born. It would be helpful to pose such questions to very young minds even in junior schools without demanding formal proofs; just watch how they tackle the conceptual part. Love your videos.

  • @francoguoli6891
    @francoguoli6891 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Grant, you're my Idol. I love your work and your ease to explain things, and to carry deeper messages than just computations in your videos. You made me cry for the beauty of what you teach, thank you so much

  • @plovet
    @plovet 4 ปีที่แล้ว +164

    I always like to say, "All Math is Easy .......once you understand it". This is video is a very nice illustration of that principle. I started saying that back when I got my math degree and I noticed that all my 'advanced' math textbooks were still being titled "Introduction to..." or "Elementary ..." ---- never once did I have the satisfication of carrying around a book titled "Really damn hard advanced ...." The people who wrote the books, thought the stuff was 'easy'..... and eventually it was.....

    • @ne0ck237
      @ne0ck237 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      What a deep thought btw, every book is named as "basic, eleventary.." xD

    • @whoot813
      @whoot813 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      You should write world's first "fundamentals of really damn hard advanced calculus (w/applications)" book.

    • @509734
      @509734 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      “This textbook will first melt your brain then marry your mom”

    • @adamroberts2691
      @adamroberts2691 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      i beg to differ

    • @finmat95
      @finmat95 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      EVERYTHING is easy when you know the solution, but this is the approach of the dumbest people.

  • @chankhavu
    @chankhavu 4 ปีที่แล้ว +645

    Interestingly, Lisa Sauermann just finished her Ph.D at Stanford this spring, according to her academic website :)

    • @dave2.077
      @dave2.077 4 ปีที่แล้ว +208

      lol what a nerd

    • @Mylada
      @Mylada 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      @@yourlordandsaviouryeesusbe2998 Why is anything funny

    • @shankysays
      @shankysays 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@Mylada such stoic

    • @nikolaypochekai3662
      @nikolaypochekai3662 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Very interesting remark!

    • @gordn_ramsi
      @gordn_ramsi 4 ปีที่แล้ว +125

      @@Rahul-cb4jb I'd rather have a sense of humor than be a humorless jerk like you.

  • @dreegw206
    @dreegw206 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I really enjoyed this one. I find your videos on general problem solving helpful as well as pleasurable. Well done.

  • @jimmcneal5292
    @jimmcneal5292 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    1)Now I want too see the Q6 problem, lol
    2)Tao's analogy actually heavy advocates for not necessarily trying to solve those problems, but learning how they should be solved

  • @jeewansingh4060
    @jeewansingh4060 4 ปีที่แล้ว +624

    The clicking sound is so satisfying.....
    And also the proof

    • @zpotatoes7923
      @zpotatoes7923 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I think you mean "satisfying"

    • @MachStarry
      @MachStarry 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@zpotatoes7923 "satisfactory" a factory of countinuous satisfaction

    • @sleevman2307
      @sleevman2307 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      sat·is·fac·to·ry
      /ˌsadəsˈfaktərē/
      adjective
      fulfilling expectations or needs; acceptable, though not outstanding or perfect.

    • @sleevman2307
      @sleevman2307 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      sat·is·fy·ing
      /ˈsadəsˌfīiNG/
      adjective
      giving fulfillment or the pleasure associated with this.

  • @halbeard2996
    @halbeard2996 4 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    This channel does everything:
    Sociological analysis, philosophical ponderings and now he's even getting poetic

  • @nikkiofthevalley
    @nikkiofthevalley 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Just based off of the animations and playing around with it myself, I think the proof has something to do with the points in relation to the points they would be "connected" to (A more rigorous definition would be "The points in which the line would hit first in either rotational direction if it could pass through the points") having an angle

  • @chaotickreg7024
    @chaotickreg7024 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Outer points and convex hulls is where my mind started going. This is a fantastic video about pure maths.

  • @DubstepCherry
    @DubstepCherry 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3294

    I would love to see her acutal answer to the question. Like, how to you but that in mathematical writing

    • @magicianwizard4294
      @magicianwizard4294 4 ปีที่แล้ว +128

      yeah, the statements and reasons for the stuff

    • @wiliextreme
      @wiliextreme 4 ปีที่แล้ว +392

      probably looked similar to this artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/2011_IMO_Problems/Problem_2

    • @someoneontheinternet3090
      @someoneontheinternet3090 4 ปีที่แล้ว +441

      After watching and taking notes I believe the correct answer is "yes"

    • @tropicarls
      @tropicarls 4 ปีที่แล้ว +282

      @@someoneontheinternet3090 dude the correct answer is "spin thru middle-ish, change the color-ish"

    • @KucheKlizma
      @KucheKlizma 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      Ah after reading it twice what eluded me was that the "middle" point is in the relative center of the X axis, but the line drawn starts at initial vertical position, and it's the combination of the two that ensures it runs trough the middle.

  • @lewismassie
    @lewismassie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +277

    "If a made up windmill helps you prepare for a real problem, who cares if it's a fiction"
    This sounds like something that should be an ancient chinese proverb

    • @vaevictus4637
      @vaevictus4637 4 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      I think it's a Don Quixote reference.

    • @Wolf_Khain
      @Wolf_Khain 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Reminds me of Hamlet.
      Windmills prepare you to fight giants...Thats a real problem.

    • @nicholasfinch4087
      @nicholasfinch4087 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@vaevictus4637 I mean... he did animate Don Quixote into the video...

    • @campkira
      @campkira 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      if the balance it off the line will fall off from center to outside..

  • @niftimalcompression
    @niftimalcompression 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love it when there are the dots, and then the line goes through them. thank you!

  • @mihailgrecu654
    @mihailgrecu654 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This problem is so beautiful. A few months ago I felt overwhelmed by the example, having just gotten into competitive math, however actually watching and fully thinking along I can see how truly elegant this solution is

  • @manja5198
    @manja5198 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1114

    It took me 11 minutes to realise that you choose the colors blue and brown lol

    • @shizotypical
      @shizotypical 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      But they weren't 3:1, simply 1:1!

    • @kuntaldas2843
      @kuntaldas2843 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      now i realise LOL

    • @rz2374
      @rz2374 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@shizotypical Look at 8:13 there it is kind of 3:1

    • @feschber
      @feschber 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      10:59 lmao

    • @CuriousBunch
      @CuriousBunch 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      haha same here!! 10 mins in and it finally clicked why brown but not just red OMG

  • @rashad6009
    @rashad6009 4 ปีที่แล้ว +224

    Infinity is a concept created by mathematicians to represent how much I love this channel

  • @josephcoon5809
    @josephcoon5809 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is by far my most favorite video...possibly ever.
    Mathematics is merely the highest class of abstraction that we use to understand some instances of reality and from which we use to create new instances of reality.
    Once you abstract what a “cup” is, you can create infinitely many instances of a “cup.” Like the “cup” of points in the problem that creates failure and which contains the point that leads to success.
    Teaching is the same way. By understanding all the different perspectives (angles of the windmill) that a student addresses a problem, a teacher can interact productively with every student and encourage productive interactions between each student. Those interactions mean that at some point, each individual is a student (brown spots; the ground) or a teacher (blue spots; the sky). The cyclic (spinning windmill) manner of teacher student interactions can also be viewed one-dimensionally as a reciprocal function over time. One person provides information, the other processes that information and returns new information. This is represented in The Socratic Method wherein there is no “teacher” or “student,” but rather two partners journeying on the path of discovery together.

  • @RedPig_Olympiad
    @RedPig_Olympiad 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hi 3b1b, really nice video! I have recently started to use manim to make maths olympiad videos and the package is really awesome. I would like to thank you for providing such amazing tool! Cheers!

  • @1AmGroot
    @1AmGroot 4 ปีที่แล้ว +219

    “You want to believe a result before you try too hard to prove it”
    This once happened to me.
    I believed a result, and my friend believed a different result, so I said "Fine, I'll prove it". In the middle of the proof, I figure out that I am wrong.

    • @BG_NC
      @BG_NC 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      1AmGroot that's always fun

    • @terrariabookshhelf6317
      @terrariabookshhelf6317 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      1AmGroot very vague example
      like thats just rewriting the question and giving it to your teacher as the answer

    • @vinayseth1114
      @vinayseth1114 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      What were the 2 results, and what was the problem?

    • @vinayseth1114
      @vinayseth1114 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@emperorjimmu9941 That's a good story. Thanks!

    • @Demozo_
      @Demozo_ 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@emperorjimmu9941 That "problem" is very misleading though. 1 / 3 = 0.333... when you're dividing (working with real numbers). But a fraction 1/3 or 3/3 is "1" because you're abstracting away the underlying value. 0.333 * 3 can never equal 1.
      The catch is really that you're working with two different units, or rather an estimation of the value of 1/3.

  • @eroraf8637
    @eroraf8637 4 ปีที่แล้ว +245

    This video is the embodiment of "obvious in retrospect". And I love it.

    • @julioservantes8242
      @julioservantes8242 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      You are the embodiment of a twat.

    • @luayuahmed
      @luayuahmed 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@julioservantes8242 comes on man

    • @LostSwiftpaw
      @LostSwiftpaw 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@julioservantes8242
      Yeah man comes on

  • @panampace
    @panampace 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The social element of this puzzle, of not being able to empathize how challenging a puzzle is, has a lot of applications outside math. I can see this principle aiding in video game design, in mental health research, in leadership/management development, and so on

    • @panampace
      @panampace 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Even politics. How many times have you scratched your head thinking "this should be obvious to everyone!" when you're in a disagreement

  • @sdparsons
    @sdparsons 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is one of my favourite of your videos, touching upon so many interesting ideas! Fabulous!

  • @PyroBlaster
    @PyroBlaster 4 ปีที่แล้ว +239

    This was a VERY pleasant experience. I did not expect this video to have such a deep and beautiful message, and I bet even people who whole-heartedly hate math and exact sciences can appreciate it, assuming they can actually sit through the video and resist the urge to click off.
    Edit: Wow, 200 likes! I never had that many before, tysm!

    • @ddogg14
      @ddogg14 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      My focus of study is in the social sciences, and though "whole-heartedly hate" might be too strong a term, I have always been terrible at math and exact sciences. I struggled mightily with getting into the right mode of thinking for discrete math and it is the main reason I did not pursue computer science. Getting a well-articulated glimpse into the mathematical/exact sciences mode of thinking and reasoning into a problem has been very valuable for me. "Find an invariant" was a wonderful insight for me personally, and hindsight truly is 20/20... an important lesson in humility.

    • @PyroBlaster
      @PyroBlaster 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@ddogg14 it's very interesting how much reasoning and logic can be different, but still just as useful and fitting when you look somewhere far from your field.
      Thank you for the comment :)

  • @darioj606
    @darioj606 4 ปีที่แล้ว +565

    I appreciate the Don Quijote cameo at the end :)

    • @pepinilloloko2918
      @pepinilloloko2918 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Didn't expect that

    • @2011568
      @2011568 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      i legit almost cried

    • @peglor
      @peglor 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Don Quixote is the reason that if I ever get a donkey I'll name it Oatey...

    • @anhthiensaigon
      @anhthiensaigon 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      3B1B is expert in both math and literature, he's definitely a renaissance man

    • @supremelordoftheuniverse5449
      @supremelordoftheuniverse5449 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Very nice touch indeed

  • @jackallread
    @jackallread 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Very interesting and I will remember to look for the invariant when solving problems.
    Like first looking for all the edge pieces of your puzzle then grouping the remaining by color…
    Thanks for the video!!

  • @ifukill7538
    @ifukill7538 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I have never passed exams. My math is basic. At the end I have asked a question. Would love some answers, thank you. What I have been doing over time is watching simple explanations on youtube. These are pretty complicated but as I watch each one, I add to my knowledge and understanding. Math is so interesting, thank you for this. Can't wait to learn more. I get the gist of it but am not able to explain it ❤😷 I am loving this at 06.33am. It's so calming too, his voice/ watching the windmill go around. Wow wish everyone could understand how amazing this video is. The pivot point with 4 on left 4 on right, so easy to see and understand. A constant☺ What's amazing is that I screen shot the Question, then watched the video, then read the Question and I thought that's simple enough to understand. Why did nearly everyone fail the question and answer ?

  • @sprazz8668
    @sprazz8668 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1471

    “Problems 1 and 4 are doable” PFFFFFFFFFFF

    • @Anonymations
      @Anonymations 4 ปีที่แล้ว +106

      I press x on that one

    • @masterdementer
      @masterdementer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +79

      @@Anonymations I press F on that one, cuz I'm PC gamer not a console player.

    • @masterdementer
      @masterdementer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Nd yeah F

    • @eloisanzara237
      @eloisanzara237 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      F

    • @aaronkou1751
      @aaronkou1751 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      It’s because the people that go to IMO are literally geniuses

  • @TheScienceBiome
    @TheScienceBiome 4 ปีที่แล้ว +483

    Holy wow, these kids are truly uber-geniuses to figure out how to do this all by themselves.

    • @nathanaelarnquist
      @nathanaelarnquist 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      On the shoulders of giants. But, yes.

    • @iusedwasi2990
      @iusedwasi2990 4 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      yeah well i didn't understand even after he showed us the solution so lmao

    • @hugekingkibblefan6980
      @hugekingkibblefan6980 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Wow that comment just came to life with cringe

    • @RamHomier
      @RamHomier 4 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      @@nathanaelarnquist That specific problem seems to be a good testament of true ingenuity rather than knowledge passed on by "giants".

    • @thewarlord4555
      @thewarlord4555 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@RamHomier knowledge molds the way of thinking.

  • @Dezdichado1000
    @Dezdichado1000 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    best 3b1b brown vids are the ones that are free of agenda and message, such as this one. Pure enjoyment from pure sake of solving beautiful problems. I got 7 7 0 on the first day back in 2008 and then got too excited for the chance of a gold that I got 0 0 0 on the 2nd day. Still wouldn't trade that exhilirating experience for anything.

  • @ebenudeh2101
    @ebenudeh2101 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I'm inquisitive about the frequency of the note heard when the line intersects a point. That note is quite frankly satisfying. Once again excellent job Mr. Sanderson. I wonder though, how did Ms. Lisa express this rigorous proof in mathematical notations during the test.

  • @seamusgr
    @seamusgr 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    as a high school student aspiring to teach math this provided quite a bit of insight for just one problem, thank you

  • @guard13007
    @guard13007 4 ปีที่แล้ว +625

    "Say, half the points blue, and the other half brown."
    But that won't be 3 blue to 1 brown. I know this doesn't help with the current problem, but I can't help but be upset at how close this came to that without quite going there.

    • @izme1000
      @izme1000 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I went there too 😀

    • @radhatanya9702
      @radhatanya9702 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Although, did you notice how clever he was in the animations? Even with half the points blue and the other half brown, he still managed to have the screen 3 times brown and once white :')

    • @prajhualak
      @prajhualak ปีที่แล้ว +2

      He could use 4 points and as it is even, take the point passing through the line to be blue and.... Yeaah 3b1b

    • @insooklee4294
      @insooklee4294 ปีที่แล้ว

      ARGH! All he needed to perform was to shift line l’s starting point proportionately to the side and still have been able to solve the problem!

  • @johnchessant3012
    @johnchessant3012 4 ปีที่แล้ว +459

    Damn. The problem is easy to understand, the solution is easy to understand, but it's extremely difficult to come up with.
    It's all so beautiful. This is real math! :-)

    • @bornach
      @bornach 4 ปีที่แล้ว +55

      Pretty much that was my experience when I participated in IMO 1991 hosted by Sweden. The unusual problem of that year was a problem combining graph theory with number theory. Question was easy to understand, and proof was easy to explain (could possibly fit into one tweet), but man was it difficult to come up with.
      Needless to say I didn't score very high (no medal) but I did manage to score a full 7 points on that problem.
      The feeling was worth it.

    • @kumarthecowboy
      @kumarthecowboy 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@bornach really appreciate that ..
      i always wonder what these good student do when they grow up ? do they continue into education or research field or something else ??

    • @aidanhennessey5586
      @aidanhennessey5586 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Have you looked much into the coffin problems?

    • @pianoforte611
      @pianoforte611 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@bornach Beautiful problem. The key observation I assume being that consecutive numbers will always have a greatest common divisor of one, and then you have to figure out how to "break up" the graph into sequences of consecutive numbers.

    • @TheGoldenutz
      @TheGoldenutz 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Honestly the most satisfying feeling in the world is solving a ridiculously difficult math problem. I live for it. Guess that's why I'm an Engineer 😂

  • @MichaelMolisani
    @MichaelMolisani 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Rewatching, only just noticed that the very beginning seamlessly transitions from the thumbnail. Love that detail.

  • @hiimjosh868
    @hiimjosh868 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    peaceful voice and music, wise insights, great visuals, and interesting maths. i love this channel so much ❤

  • @anananwar
    @anananwar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +518

    Me: Haven't done math in 14 years.
    TH-cam: You know what i think you'd really enjoy?
    ... Strangely enough, youtube was 100% right.

    • @baguettegott3409
      @baguettegott3409 4 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      I find your comment weirdly motivational. I'm studying physics and maths is stressing me out TO NO END at the moment, and it's really frustrating... but then I read this and try to imagine what it's like to not do maths for 14 years and I can't even imagine that. Hell, I miss maths over a long summer break, no maths for THAT long, I just couldn't do it. It reminds me of how much I love maths, even if it drives me crazy occasionally.

    • @markhenley3097
      @markhenley3097 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@baguettegott3409 Yeah same for me, coming close to going to university and I need to get an A* in Maths and Physics. These videos help me.

  • @stonersudowoodo7143
    @stonersudowoodo7143 4 ปีที่แล้ว +639

    This video is literally “Well yes, but actually no” personified

    • @yung-stephen
      @yung-stephen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      well yes, but actually no

    • @lewisford7438
      @lewisford7438 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Well yes, but actually no, it's videographied

  • @sorinjayaweera8751
    @sorinjayaweera8751 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I don't know why but that ending had me BALLING, crying my eyes out. Thank you for your channel and everything haha, math is so fun and amazing .

  • @SacsachCCABP
    @SacsachCCABP 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    The Asian kid starts sobbing
    The atheist starts praying
    The disabled kid runs away
    The blind kid opens his eyes in shock
    The deaf kid starts humming to ignore the test
    *and that’s when you know it’s gonna be difficult*

  • @KhaosTy
    @KhaosTy 4 ปีที่แล้ว +188

    I watched and at the end I said out loud: "Wow, that video was f***ing fun." The sounds and the smooth animations and the little light flash on each point as it becomes the new pivot are all great. I can tell you really pay attention to the sensory experience of your videos.

    • @xeinrr
      @xeinrr 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      like mines? :D

  • @gradientO
    @gradientO 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1142

    *How about a series on **_Essence of Probability?_*

    • @shubhamchoure8031
      @shubhamchoure8031 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Yeess

    • @uttiyamaji1275
      @uttiyamaji1275 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Yesss

    • @cptn_n3m012
      @cptn_n3m012 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      No !!!

    • @omerresnikoff3565
      @omerresnikoff3565 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Actually I'm pretty sure that will happen since there is a folder inside the "active_projects" folder of Manim (his animation software) under the name of "eop" (essence of probability) with a file called "what_does_probability_mean.py".
      github.com/3b1b/manim/tree/master/active_projects/eop

    • @rjvv98
      @rjvv98 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Essence of Statistics*

  • @andreisoceanu4320
    @andreisoceanu4320 ปีที่แล้ว

    Sometimes I just return to this video to enjoy how beautiful math is. How good example this problem is that math is not only about numbers and computing, but math is in fact the art of modeling problems, stuff that "you don't even know how to start with". Beautiful problem, and sincerest congratulations to @3Blue1Brown for this video, animation, and effort.

  • @androiduser6928
    @androiduser6928 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow! Really appreciate the effort you put into these videos!

  • @WholesomeLad
    @WholesomeLad 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1064

    "The solution is something that anyone watching this video could understand"
    Press X To Doubt

    • @kefinnigan2
      @kefinnigan2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      yea, i still dont understand what the solution is

    • @devd_rx
      @devd_rx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      X

    • @GrimOakheart
      @GrimOakheart 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@kefinnigan2 In order to make all points be hit an infinite amount of times, on whatever starting point chosen, the line you start with must be angled in such a way that it divides the dots in half.

    • @babyninjajesus2669
      @babyninjajesus2669 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@kefinnigan2 same amount of colored dots on both sides after a full rotation = it never moved from its original starting point and therefore *cannot* ever move because theres no other variables

    • @mr_confuse
      @mr_confuse 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      X

  • @DonVigaDeFierro
    @DonVigaDeFierro 4 ปีที่แล้ว +291

    "Sometimes you need to focus on the 'micro' to really understand the thickness of the 'macro'". - Josh Waitzkin.
    Or better said: "Always start simple!" - 3Blues1Brown.

    • @kamikeserpentail3778
      @kamikeserpentail3778 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      As I've once been told, just remember to KISS it.
      Keep It Simple Stupid.

    • @flain283
      @flain283 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      i'm pretty sure Josh Waitzkin is the voice from a chessmaster game i spent too many hours on (although as a side effect i'm better at chess)

  • @TwilitbeingReboot
    @TwilitbeingReboot 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I sometimes peruse this and other, similar channels in search of ideas for D&D puzzles, and while this one is probably too abstract for that (though who knows what might be done with magic lasers and enchanted crystals?), the insight about subjectively judging difficulty is certainly something I'll be keeping in mind. Just as every GM has to be prepared for their players finding some trivial solution they never accounted for, it's wise to have contingency plans in case a solution you _thought_ would be trivial simply doesn't occur to them.

  • @krzysztofterlecki2889
    @krzysztofterlecki2889 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Omg 3blue1brown I love u so much! Every video on your channel is an inspirational masterpiece. I wish you happy 2024!

  • @lexuankhoi-james3657
    @lexuankhoi-james3657 4 ปีที่แล้ว +640

    People: Is this question hard?
    3Blue1Brown: yes, but actually no, but actually yes.

    • @fackarov9412
      @fackarov9412 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      2/3 yes?

    • @AttilaAsztalos
      @AttilaAsztalos 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Vsauce2: So it really is a simple problem, right? WRONG!

    • @valeriobertoncello1809
      @valeriobertoncello1809 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Oh no it's in a superposition of being both hard and not hard!

    • @JohnPaul-di3ph
      @JohnPaul-di3ph 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@valeriobertoncello1809 Schrodinger nods in approval

    • @Parbon.
      @Parbon. 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oviously not but typically yes

  • @danielroder830
    @danielroder830 4 ปีที่แล้ว +307

    The last thing you said about empathizing with not understanding something, this is something every teacher should think about daily when teaching. People who teach the same stuff year after year forget how it was when they didn't understand it and can get impatient when someone doesn't understand it right away.

  • @kurtisburtis
    @kurtisburtis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The beauty of that insight-“look for the thing that doesn’t change because it may point towards the solution”-is that it applies to other problems, not just ones involving math.
    Thank you

  • @quinndepatten4442
    @quinndepatten4442 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Find the constants in the chaos. It's such a simple yet powerful concept. I love it.

  • @danielmurawski5926
    @danielmurawski5926 4 ปีที่แล้ว +98

    I remember doing it when I was preparing for IMO. I was really proud of myself after solving it, the solution is gorgeous

    • @jackw7714
      @jackw7714 4 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Looks like it paid off. Congratulations on the medal and brilliant scores
      www.imo-official.org/participant_r.aspx?id=28577

    • @user-vr6cl9lk1l
      @user-vr6cl9lk1l 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@jackw7714 Wow... he is a genius lol silver medal...

    • @alexanderwong4232
      @alexanderwong4232 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Wow. Congrats!

    • @rajeshrevankar4490
      @rajeshrevankar4490 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Daniel Murawski congrats

    • @araptuga
      @araptuga 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Did you use the same approach as here? Do you know if all who successfully solved it did so?
      If not, was there something they all still had in common? For example, did they all involve searching for an invariant, but perhaps finding a different one (or a proxy that looked different, even though it shared the same roots)?

  • @bartoszmaj8691
    @bartoszmaj8691 4 ปีที่แล้ว +543

    "And anyone watching this video can understand"
    Me: "Oh ok nice, usually I'm not too good at math but lets give this a go"
    *First sentence of problem is said*
    Me: "Mission failed, we'll get 'em next time"

    • @d-rabbitfor5398
      @d-rabbitfor5398 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hahahaha

    • @angelodc1652
      @angelodc1652 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      It basically means that you have a bunch of points on a flat area

    • @masterdementer
      @masterdementer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      "It's not over yet, we'll get 'em next time"
      -CODM domination
      Lol

    • @Leyrann
      @Leyrann 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      The funny part is that math problems are often easier to understand once you've read ALL sentences, because then the various givens and everything become a whole.

    • @davidhcefx
      @davidhcefx 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      haha

  • @_purble
    @_purble 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Beautiful solution. One of these ones that show the criterion must have been satisfied without having to delve into the details of how it gets satisfied. I also think there's a nice distinction between an easy solution and an easy problem to be drawn here. This seems to be a hard problem with an easy solution.

  • @mihirvaishampayan8752
    @mihirvaishampayan8752 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    3b1b's videos are always a fun space to come to

  • @alperenerol1852
    @alperenerol1852 4 ปีที่แล้ว +614

    Every contestant after solving the first question
    '' ah, this paper is so easy''
    2nd question
    ''I'm about to end this man's whole career''

    • @SantoshKumar.budithi
      @SantoshKumar.budithi 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Lol what about the people who dint even solve the very first problem. Poor kids.

    • @austinconner2479
      @austinconner2479 4 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      @@SantoshKumar.budithi no shame in not solving an imo problem. I don't know about imo contestants, but in similar Olympiads the median score is usually zero

    • @yogeshsagar9623
      @yogeshsagar9623 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@SantoshKumar.budithi They aren't poor kids ! They're among top 6 mathematical geniuses of their country. I bet you weren't even in top 6 of your highschool. -_-

    • @lonestarr1490
      @lonestarr1490 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@austinconner2479 But it can still drive you insane, though. I watched this video 3 days ago and since then struggle to find the solution for problem 3 ...

    • @leventevirag1653
      @leventevirag1653 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@SantoshKumar.budithi Another comment saying "kids".You know that most of the contestants are 17 or 18 years old right?