Solving a maths equation can tricky at the best of times, so spare a thought for the South African students who were presented with an “unsolvable” maths question in error, for their final mathematics paper.

The education council that sets and monitors standards for general and further education in South Africa has said that it is investigating the “problematic” maths question deemed “unsolvable” by a university professor of mathematics in the country’s Daily Maverick newspaper.

The Daily Maverick printed the question as follows:

No, we didn’t get it either – but go to the Daily Maverick for a full discussion (and a possible solution!).

Umalusi, the Quality Council for General and Further Education and Training, has selected a panel to look into how the trigonometry question in the Grade 12 Mathematics Paper 2 became included, and why it was not detected before printing.

Speaking to South Africa’s Sunday World newspaper Umalusi CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, said he wanted to reassure the public that the education council; “Will do everything humanly possible to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged by the error in question 5.1.”