This is a little fairy tale that we all get told as mathematicians.
Thats Marcus de Sotoy, who is a mathematician at Oxford University in England.
As for this fairy tale, I dont.
Know whether its true or not, but who cares?
The story takes us back to Germany in the late 18th century and a schoolboy named Karl Friedrich Gauss.
The young Gauss, sitting eight, nine years old in his class, the teacher wants to get a little bit of rest, decides to set them a problem.
It will take them ages to actually do.
Young Carl Friedrich Gauss would become one of the most remarkable mathematicians in history.
There are more than 100 theorems, formulas, models, and other math terms named after him.
But that was later.
At the time of our story, he's just a very bright young student.
And the teacher gives the class this problem to solve.
As de Sotoi said, it's not a particularly interesting problem.
The teacher says, you've got to add.
Up the numbers from one to 100.
And most of the class set off and they go, one plus two, three plus three, six.
Go ahead, try it for yourself.
Add up the numbers from one to 100.
I'll give you a minute.
Are you done?