A mathematical experiment?

Question

f(x) is a monic polynomial of degree 6. It has the following values:
f(0)=0
f(1)=1
f(2)=2
f(3)=3
f(4)=4
f(5)=5

Question 1: what is f(6)?
Question 2: do you think that other people are likely to get this question wrong?

Scott R has it. I'd still like to know more about how people react to these kinds of questions, so please feel free to add your answer. Obviously, that would be before, not after, scrolling down to see what the correct answer is.

Answer 1

Answer 1:
f(6)= 726
Answer 2:
yes

(If you ask it again I promise not to answer.)

Answer 2

Yeah. Interesting trap. The reason most people get it wrong is because they won't notice the degree in the stmt of the problem. You could have used a cubic monic and asked about f(3), but I guess the trap gets more convincing the longer the roster of equalities. Actually, that might be worth testing..

Answer 3

It's been a while, but don't you need seven points of reference to pin down absolutely the coefficients of a degree 6 polynomial?

As for the second question, i wouldn't know, I can't get it right myself.

Answer 4

the priority with this, besides your assumption of our stupidity, is that mastercard numbers at the instantaneous are not random. the first 4 digits aspect out the issuing economic corporation. operating example, 4028 is Citibank, if I keep in mind wisely. This jogs my memory of the tale of the human beings who needed to generate random numbers till now pcs were huge spread. They wanting to open the yellow pages and seem on the ultimate digit of any volume. Their challenge became that on the time, maximum large organizations had important switchboard numbers that ended with 0.

Answer 5

f(6) = 6

since f(x) is the same as y and x is x, you can make them into points.

so you would get
(0,0)
(1,1)
(2,2)
(3,3)
and so on where there is a pattern where the x= y

This is a linear line whose equation is x = y

Thus f(6) is basically saying when x = 6, what is y, and in this case since x = y its 6.

so f(6) = 6

depending you knowledge on f(x) and math, it depends on other poeple.