Sophism #4: Any Two Numbers are Equal

Consider two arbitrary numbers a and b. Let

a + b = 2c

Rearrange this in two ways to get two new valid equations:

a - 2c = -b
a = -b + 2c

Multiply the corresponding sides of the two equations:

a2 - 2ac = b2 - 2bc

Now add c2 to each side and simplify:

a2 - 2ac + c2 = b2 - 2bc + c2
(a-c)2 = (b-c)2

Finally, take the root of both sides:

a-c = b-c
a = b

Consequently, two arbitrarily chosen numbers a and b must be equal!


Please, avoid posting spoilers in the comments. For other sophisms check out this list.

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