this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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Chapotraphouse
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I consider myself "bad at math" and even I understand that. Wtf is happening??
Strike the evil commie parts and I have heard this word for word.
“If you’re talking about 50% of the original value in both cases, yes, but not when you’re talking about a decrease followed by an increase”
And I’ve solidly lost them.
Percentages are multiplicative, not addative, so if you go down 50 and then up 50 (or vice versa) you end up at 75% of the original value.
Equation would be original value * (1 + % ÷ 100)
So if we start with 1, 1 * (1-50/100) = .5 .5 * (1+50/100) =.75
In simplified fractions, 1 * 1/2 * 3/2= 3/4
I know. Far too many people I’ve had exactly this conversation with don’t seem to be able to grasp that, though, no matter how I present it to them.
(1-p)*(1+p) = 1 - p^2^ < 1
Ridiculous. This is why nobody likes math lmao. It makes intuitive sense you don't need some goofy ass formula.
If I have 100 and reduce it by 50% i have 50. Now if i increase the 50 by 50% what is it? 75. Why? Cause 50% of 50 is 25. 50 +25 equals 75. Your formula is exactly why i fuckin hate math lmao. Today we're going to learn this concept but lets not look at it in real world terms but as an overwhelming mess of letters and numbers. Awesome. It can't be that every math teacher I had was bad. There has to be better ways to teach math.
Your explanation is harder to understand than my formula.
It’s really not