A clearly unsolvable exam question on a Chinese maths paper has left the two understudies and web-based social networking befuddled.
Elementary school understudies at a school in the Chinese region of Shunqing were looked with this inquiry on a paper: "If a ship had 26 sheep and 10 goats installed, how old is the ship's skipper?"
The inquiry showed up on a current fifth-grade level paper, expected for kids around 11 years of age.
Photos of the inquiry, alongside understudies' valiant endeavors at answers, surfaced for this present week on Chinese online networking - where it activated level headed discussion and rapidly circulated around the web.
Training authorities later said the inquiry was not a slip-up, but rather intended to feature "basic awareness"."The chief is no less than 18 since he must be a grown-up to drive the ship," one understudy replied.
"The skipper is 36, on the grounds that 26+10 is 36 and the chief needed them to mean his age," another speculated.
One understudy be that as it may, basically surrendered.
"The skipper's age is... I don't have a clue. I can't understand this."Online, notwithstanding, individuals weren't exactly as liberal.
"This inquiry bodes well by any means. Does the educator even know the appropriate response?" said one analyst on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging stage.
"On the off chance that a school had 26 instructors, 10 of which weren't considering, how old is the main?" another inquired.
A few be that as it may, safeguarded the school - which has not been named - saying the inquiry advanced basic reasoning.
"Its general purpose is to influence the understudies to think. It's done that," one individual remarked.
"This inquiry powers youngsters to clarify their reasoning and gives them space to be inventive. We ought to have more inquiries like this," another said.
'Realize totally new possibilities'
The Shunqing Education Department posted an announcement on the 26 January saying the test had expected to "look at... basic mindfulness and a capacity to think freely".
"Some overviews demonstrate that grade school understudies in our nation do not have a feeling of basic mindfulness with respect to science," it said.
The conventional Chinese technique for training vigorously underlines on note-taking and redundancy, known as repetition realizing, which commentators say obstructs innovative reasoning.
Yet, the office said questions like the pontoon one "empower understudies to challenge limits and thoroughly consider of the container".
Also, obviously, there's dependably that one individual that has every one of the appropriate responses.