Multiple choice

Which of the following situations would most discomfort a mathematician?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question.
But the reason that mathematicians are not intuitive is that they do not see what is before them, and that, accustomed to the exact and plain principles of mathematics, and not reasoning till they have well inspected and arranged their principles, they are lost in matters of intuition where the principles do not allow of such arrangement. They are scarcely seen; they are felt rather than seen; there is the greatest difficulty in making them felt by those who do not of themselves perceive them. These principles are so fine and so numerous that a very delicate and very clear sense is needed to perceive them, and to judge rightly and justly when they are perceived, without for the most part being able to demonstrate them in order as in mathematics; because the principles are not known to us in the same way, and because it would be an endless matter to undertake it. We must see the matter at once, at one glance, and not by a process of reasoning, at least to a certain degree. And thus it is rare that mathematicians are intuitive, and that men of intuition are mathematicians, because mathematicians wish to treat matters of intuition mathematically, which is not the way to proceed in this kind of reasoning. Not that the mind does not do so, but it does it tacitly, naturally, and without technical rules. Intuitive minds, on the contrary, being thus accustomed to judge at a single glance, are so astonished when they are presented with propositions of which they understand nothing, and the way to which is through definitions and axioms so sterile, and which they are not accustomed to see thus in detail, that they are repelled and disheartened.

  1. A feeling of inadequateness upon realizing that he is being outbid for a masterpiece that he'd been hoping to pick up in an auction.

  2. Trying to account for the sudden and sustained drop in serious crime without any evidence of obvious logical explanations.

  3. A feeling of déjà vu upon visiting a country for the first time and finding the language, customs, and many landmarks familiar.

  4. Explain why first rung drug dealers struggle to rent a studio apartment while drug lords live in opulent mansions.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. A feeling of déjà vu in the given scenario would be linked to something that cannot be explained in terms of evident principles. Hence, this is the most likely option.