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@peterrowlett@mathstodon.xyz

Post #1659697

2026-04-21 07:02 UTC

My son (10)’s homework asked him for two common multiples of 3 and 4. He put 12 and 0. It marked him wrong. Unsure how to feel about that.

Replies (7)

  • @isleofmandan@mstdn.social 2026-04-21 07:08

    @peterrowlett If you look at the popular answers you'd see 12 and 24 a lot. Probably find that 0 isn't really all that common. 🤪

    Open ##1711603

  • @robinhouston@mathstodon.xyz 2026-04-21 07:50

    @peterrowlett Proud of your son, and furious with whoever marked the homework?

    Open ##1711604

  • @christianp@mathstodon.xyz 2026-04-21 07:54

    @peterrowlett automatic homework?

    Open ##1711607

  • @ppscrv@mathstodon.xyz 2026-04-21 08:14

    @peterrowlett 9 and 12 are common multiples of 3; 4 and 8 are common multiples of 4. They are on the clock, they turn up all the time. I can imagine myself, at 10, thinking that was absolutely what they meant and being mortified when it turned out they wanted something else.

    Open ##1711610

  • @richardelwes@mathstodon.xyz 2026-04-21 08:45

    @peterrowlett The appropriate response might depend on what definition they gave of “multiple”(or “common multiple”)?

    Open ##1711611

  • @jonathanavt@mastodon.nl 2026-04-21 10:51

    @peterrowlett If 0 isn’t an even number as many say, why would it be a multiple of 12? /s

    Open ##1711616

  • @RobJLow@mathstodon.xyz 2026-04-21 13:40

    @peterrowlett Awkward, isn't it? If you allow 0, the lcm of any two non-negative integers is 0, which isn't ideal. I don't know if there's a clean way to set up the terminology if you want to work with non-negative rather than strictly positive integers.

    Open ##1711617