Simple-looking equation proves difficult to solve - can you remember special rule only geniuses can?

Published: 13:02, 14 June 2026 | Updated: 13:09, 14 June 2026 A simple-looking math equation is leaving puzzle lovers scratching their heads. A brain teaser recently shared by X user Bholanath Dutta (@BholanathDutta) challenged followers to 'solve if you are a genius' before presenting the equation. At first glance, the problem appears easy enough to solve in a matter of seconds. After all, it contains only four numbers and a handful of basic arithmetic symbols. But many people who rush through the equation end up with the wrong answer because they don't follow a special rule that was taught in math class. The challenge is this: 10 + 10 × 0 + 10 = ? Take a moment to try working it out before scrolling any further. While many people confidently arrive at an answer, not everyone agrees on what the solution should be. This simple-looking equation has left many people debating the correct answer online. Can you solve it? Some insist the answer is 10, while others argue it should be 30.  A few people in the comments on the post even claimed the correct answer is 110. So who's right? The disagreement comes down to whether you remember one of the most important rules taught in school mathematics. Many instinctively tackle the problem from left to right. Using that method, they first add the two 10s together to get 20, then multiply by zero before adding the final 10. That approach produces an answer of 10. But according to the rules of arithmetic, that's incorrect. The puzzle hinges on the order of operations, sometimes remembered through the acronym PEMDAS - Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction. The correct answer is 20 because multiplication takes priority over addition, meaning 10 × 0 must be calculated before the remaining numbers are added together Under those rules, multiplication must be completed before addition. Once that portion of the equation is solved, the problem becomes: The final answer is therefore 20. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.