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025 - Brave the Caves026 - Mangled Math027 - That Rings a Bell

Mangled Math is a puzzle in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. The puzzle must be solved in order to progress the story.

Puzzle

US Version

Dalston has posed a math problem to Hershel. It's written on a homework sheet, but it's torn in several places, making it very difficult to read.

Dalston smirks as he watches Hershel examine the puzzle. With an air of self-satisfaction, he says, "Still struggling? But this is the simplest math problem ever!"

Can you help Hershel work out the answer to the problem? Write down the number.

UK Version

Dalston has posed Hershel a maths problem. It's written on a homework sheet, but it's torn in several places, making it very difficult to read.

Dalston smirks as he watches Hershel examine the puzzle. With an air of self-satisfaction, he says: "Still struggling? But this is the simplest maths problem ever!"

Can you help Hershel work out the answer to the problem? Write down the number.

Hints

Click a Tab to reveal the Hint.

Just smoothing out the creases won't help. There are some necessary parts of the equations missing that make it impossible to solve.

However, Dalston seems convinced that it's a simple problem. Surely he wouldn't say that about multiple-variable equations! What's going on?

Why does Dalston, who's standing in front of Hershel, find it so much easier to solve?

He's looking at the homework sheet upside down. Shouldn't that just make it harder to read?

Try looking at it upside down yourself to see if it helps at all.

When you looked at the sheet upside down, did you notice anything?

Maybe Dalston isn't looking at those equations at all.

Incidentally, those rips in the paper are shaped quite strangely. Is there some kind of special meaning to them?

Look at the sheet upside down, and focus only on the ripped parts. It looks as if they form a math problem of their own.

It appears to read "17 - 2."

A far simpler problem!


Solution

Incorrect

Too bad.

Dalston says it's a simple problem. That can't be right...or can it?

Correct

Correct! Hope you didn't tear your hair out.

US Version

From where Dalston is standing, the torn parts of the page appear to form a much simpler math problem: 17 - 2. The answer, of course, is 15.

UK Version

From where Dalston is standing, the torn parts of the page appear to form a much simpler maths problem: 17 - 2. The answer, of course, is 15.

MM026S
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