Recently, a digital puzzle from Harvard University has set off a heated discussion on the Internet! This problem seems simple, but 90% of the participants are stumped, and even many math masters are struggling to think about it!

Most people's first reaction is:

• Think that the question is wrong, 11×11 is 121

• Try to find rules of operation other than squares

• Entangled in the special nature of the numbers themselves

But the correct answer is 36! What the hell is going on?

Key to the problem:

This question is not a test of traditional multiplication, but a test of the decomposition and reorganization of numbers! The correct solution is:

1. Split each number into single digits and add them up:

◦ 11 → 1 1=2

◦ 22 → 2 2=4

◦ 33 → 3 3=6

2. Then multiply the results:

◦ (1 1)×(1 1)=2×2=4

◦ (2 2)×(2 2)=4×4=16

◦ (3 3)×(3 3)=6×6=36

Why is this question so difficult?

1. Break our fixed thinking about multiplication

2. You need to think outside the conventional mathematical framework

3. Pattern recognition is examined rather than computing power

4. Beneath the surface of simplicity lies subtle rules

Share this question with your friends and see who can crack the code first! Remember, sometimes the answer is hidden in the simplest way of thinking~