The Mathematician from Brooklyn A mathematician hailing from Brooklyn, NY gets invited to the annual conference for mathematics, statistics and logic. Upon arriving, he notices that a world-renown professor is hosting what was listed as ""The Unbeatable Brain-Teaser"". He decides to sign up, and gets in the single-file line for a one-on-one chance to attempt to solve the professor's riddle. Once inside the conference room, the Brooklyn man is told that he will be faced with a 3-part riddle. The first challenge, explains the professor, is to represent on a chalk board the number '9' without words, digits or any mathematical symbols. The Brooklyn man proceeds to draw three trees on the board. ""Ya see dere? Tree plus tree plus tree equals nine, get it?"" The professor nods before going on with the second stage of the riddle. He explains that, by drawing upon the first sketch and following the same rules, he must now express the number 99. The Brooklyn man proceeds to use the chalk to scribble some debris around the trunk of each tree. ""Ya see dere? Dirty tree plus dirty tree plus dirty tree equals 99, get it?"" The professor grimaces and nods once again. He explains that the 3rd part of the riddle has yet to be solved. Not even Stephen Hawking himself was able to find a solution. The final part of the riddle is to further elaborate upon the existing sketch to represent the number 100. As the professor leans back with a smug grin, the Brooklyn man makes the final adjustments to his sketch. To the bewilderment of the professor, he draws a dog defecating next to each of the dirty trees. ""No problem,"" he says, ""dirty tree and a turd plus dirty tree and a turd plus anudda dirty tree and a turd makes 100! I'll see ya at da bar.""