Can you deny this, even if you use both hands?

Question

Let p be the number of times you use the variable q in your answer to this question. Let q be the number of time you use p likewise. Prove that p+q cannot be odd.

Ken H
You used p 5 times, and q twice, so your solution does not satisfy the requirements of the problem. sorry...

who said p=q?

does p nesessarily = q? Prove it!

necessarily of course

and i still dont see anyone using both hands

gee Sandianne, its a good thing mathematics was your source, otherwise, i might not have believed you!!!

sorry, tbolling2,
but you didn't disprove any theorem, you just proved that your proof of any suggested theorem is false.

You could always say "p is in the answer to this question" or "q is in the answer to this question" and increase q or p accordingly. but that adds nothing to the proof: it is a tautology. it would be equvalent to just typing a "p" or a "q" all by itself somewhere and say that it means something. it doesn't. (it should have gone without saying that non-redundant and non-superfluous uses of 'p' and 'q' were implied)

O! The counter-examples are getting better and better! But why dont you prove the theorem, rather than disprove it, and get the points too!

PASCAL-nice try, but it is not clear at all that q is not odd. in your own proof, q=3...

Answer 1

Okay, so p is the number of times the variable q appears in this answer, and q is the number of times that the variable p appears in this answer. Clearly, one of these variables is an even number, and q isn't. Therefore, p+q is odd and the theorem is disproven, without such silly self-referential statements as in tbolling2's answer.

Edit: Ah... sorry. I got the variables mixed up, and as such put odd where I should have put even. This counterexample should be correct now.

Answer 2

Basically you are stating that p and q are equal.
p=q, so they are the same number.
0=0
1=1
2=2
so on.
adding an odd number with another odd number creates an even number
adding an even number with an even number creates an even number.
so the result will always be even, except for 0. But 0 is neither even or odd.

Answer 3

That's simple enough. Number theory: because p=q (this is from your question), and odd + odd = even and even + even = even, p+q cannot be odd.

Answer 4

P is in this answer.

Q=3
P=2

P+Q=5

Theorem disproven by counter example.

Answer 5

p and q have to be equal, thus p+q = p+p = 2p, so it isn't odd.

Answer 6

They're not odd...because they can't.

Answer 7

(((Insert joke about using your hands here)))

Answer 8

♥Are you asking us to learn our P's and Q's ?

Answer 9

p=q by TRANSITIVITY.

QED!