Q&A for How to Read Someone's Mind With Math (Math Trick)

If your trick is wrong, that's okay. It just means that somewhere along the way, some of the math was done wrong. Try again with a pen & paper, and do the math carefully.

10/10! If they don't work, it just means that the math wasn't done quite right. Try again!

Yes, but it will make the math more complex. Using 1 through 10 is a lot easier.

Yes, but it gets more complicated as the number gets higher.

You're not. It doesn't matter which number is chosen. The "trick" is that -- done right -- the math allows you to find the number, whatever it is.

Since no one can actually read your mind, it doesn't really matter whether you use a number more than once. It's a guessing game no matter how many times you do it (unless you become predictable).

The first two tricks will work with any number whatsoever, provided only that your mark can do the required calculations. Tricks that look at individual digits (like this article's Lucky 13) typically do require whole numbers within a specific range (here 1-10).

It's the same thing, but it will just be more complicated. Try first using single digit numbers, with 10 being the highest number you use.

Find a way to create an algorithm (formula) that could allow you to retrace an original thought-of number while the spectator is unable to.

The article's description of this trick says "the right answer will be half the even number you chose." In this case, you ended with 3 which is indeed half of the 6 you started with. I think that description is accurate. It's example ended with 5 because it started with 10, but you can make it end with any number you like by choosing your right starting number. If you start with 6, you should end with 3 (as you did).

The math is first finding a number and then making it more complex. Let's do the "End with 3 trick" for example. The expression should be x*2*5/x-7. Let's simplify it step by step. We can put the 2 and 5 together, so that would be 10x/x-7. Multiplying and dividing by x can be removed, as it is a pointless variable. That leads to 10-7, which is 3. What they do is start with an absolute number and then complicate it to distract the audience. To decode other tricks like this, try to make out the expression and simplify it from there.

Actually, it does work above 100! Let's use 157 for an example. 157*9=1413. 1+4+1+3= 9. 9+4=13! You would get to 13 always, but the more digits you put into your number, the more digits you have to add in Step 2.

Learn two tricks in advance. Make sure they both interlock with each other. If they say that, then carry on with the trick, switching to the other one. They'll be dazzled that it isn't the one that they thought it was and leave awe in wonder.

70/7 is 10, not 7. 49/7 equals 7. (Which is also a perfect square.) Then you will get 3. 10-7=3.