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ChatGPT-5 Can't Do Basic Math

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Re: ChatGPT-5 Can't Do Basic Math

#11
Claude (free) solves it without any issues.

To solve 5.9 = x + 5.11, I need to isolate x by subtracting 5.11 from both sides:

5.9 = x + 5.11 5.9 - 5.11 = x + 5.11 - 5.11 -0.21 = x

Therefore, x = -0.21

To verify: -0.21 + 5.11 = 4.9 ≠ 5.9

Let me recalculate: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21

So x = -1.21

Verification: -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.9 ≠ 5.9

Let me try once more carefully: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21

Wait, I made an error. Let me recalculate step by step: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21

But let me verify: if x = -1.21, then x + 5.11 = -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.9, which doesn't equal 5.9.

Actually, let me recalculate the subtraction: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21

Hmm, that's still not working. Let me reconsider:

5.90 - 5.11 = -1.21

But checking: -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.90 ≠ 5.90

I think I'm making a calculation error. Let me be more careful: 5.90 - 5.11 = -1.21

Actually, let me verify this arithmetic directly: If x = -1.21, then x + 5.11 = -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.90

That's not equal to 5.90, so I must have made an error.

Let me recalculate 5.90 - 5.11: 5.90 - 5.11 = -1.21

Wait, I keep getting the same result. Let me check if -1.21 + 5.11 actually equals 5.90: -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.90

No, that's 3.90, not 5.90.

Let me recalculate the original subtraction more carefully: 5.90 - 5.11 = 0.79

Let me verify: 0.79 + 5.11 = 5.90

Therefore, x = 0.79

Re: ChatGPT-5 Can't Do Basic Math

#14
If you want an LLM that can do proper spelling, arithmetic, etc. you'll have to train it on ascii or unicode instead of tokens. This would likely increase training times, and possibly also model size, by an order of magnitude or more.

On the plus side it could then correctly count the number of r's in strawberry.

An aside: you wouldn't believe how easy it is to grow strawberries. Mostly it's a matter of containment.

Re: ChatGPT-5 Can't Do Basic Math

#15

Can confirm this is happening with the same prompt -- it even tries to justify that 5.9 is less than 5.11 when asked further. [1] https://chatgpt.com/share/689652e0-c2ac-8004-811b-0856a76fe2...

AGI next month confirmed by Scam Altman. Also fire all engineers 30 months ago (we are 3 years into being told AI would replace engineers in 6 month)

Re: ChatGPT-5 Can't Do Basic Math

#16

Claude (free) solves it without any issues. To solve 5.9 = x + 5.11, I need to isolate x by subtracting 5.11 from both sides: 5.9 = x + 5.11 5.9 - 5.11 = x + 5.11 - 5.11 -0.21 = x Therefore, x = -0.21 To verify: -0.21 + 5.11 = 4.9 ≠ 5.9 Let me recalculate: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21 So x = -1.21 Verification: -1.21 + 5.11 = 3.9 ≠ 5.9 Let me try once more carefully: 5.9 - 5.11 = -1.21 Wait, I made an error. Let me recalculate…

That output doesn't look like "without any issues" to me...

Thought the problem of LLMs being incapable of basic arithmetic had been solved a while back by teaching them to treat arithmetic as inputs to (e.g.) a Python interpreter

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