A second-grade math question, reportedly from a child’s homework, has sparked an intense online debate. The question reads: “There are 49 dogs signed up to compete in a dog show. There are 36 more small dogs than large dogs signed up to compete.

How many small dogs are signed up to compete?”

Internet users responded with various answers, from simple arithmetic to complex algebra. Some argued that the problem was more about reading comprehension than math, while others noted the difficulty, stating that “you can’t have half of a dog.

One user joked, “What breed of dog is 0.5 small and 0.5 large?”

According to a calculation by the WTAJ digital team, the correct answer lies in understanding the relationship between the numbers:

You first group them as small dogs since you need at least 36 small dogs.

Debate over tricky math homework

You then divide the remaining 13 into two categories: large dogs and small dogs. But you have to divide them in a way that would allow you to create a class that’s X and a class that’s X + 36. It’s not possible in this equation because 13 is a prime number.”

As 13 is a prime number, it cannot be divided without resulting in a fraction, concluding that one cannot have half a dog.

The debate continues, with many questioning how they would approach helping their child with such an assignment. What do you think the answer is? Could you help your child if they came home with a homework question like this?