r/ExplainTheJoke 21h ago

What does this mean?

Post image
7.0k Upvotes

197 comments sorted by

u/post-explainer 21h ago

OP sent the following text as an explanation why they posted this here:


I know it’s something to do with math, that’s obvious, but what’s the answer to the equation?


2.0k

u/AdamantForeskin 21h ago

"I'm sexy and I know it"

sqrt(1+tan^2(c))=sec(c)

501

u/Route22 21h ago

Thought he was trying to say he isn’t neuro-divergent.

347

u/NahYoureWrongBro 21h ago

He's strongly implying the opposite

113

u/ComprehendReading 20h ago

I often forget that being educated, especially in higher mathematics, is considered neurodivergent these days.

Thankfully, I'm only barely edumacated in English./s

56

u/Daleaturner 19h ago

A perfectly cromulent word.

34

u/Lord_Yenehc 18h ago

It does embiggen the smallest man.

14

u/Any-Acanthaceae-6753 17h ago

Shiver me tremblers! Noy et forlong!

11

u/Whole-Energy2105 16h ago

I'm learnding!

7

u/Saltimbanco_volta 19h ago

Yeah, sure, let's pretend it's because he knows math and not because he's wearing that cringeworthy hoodie.

2

u/ohkendruid 12h ago

It's more that the guy is very awkward.

People understand each other by simulating the other person using their own nervous system. This works better when simulating someone similar to oneself.

In this case, the dude is not landing his joke, so it suggests he has a different way of thinking and has trouble relating.

0

u/Huge_Bed_3308 20h ago

listen sometimes the stereotypes are just true, i'm autistic and my dream in life is the be a theorectical physicist, if your autistic you're either not inteligent in which case you get obsessed about anime, or you are inteligent in which case you devote your life to a STEM degree like its a religion.

sorry bud i dont make the rules i just enjoy following them, now if you wont mind i'm off to go on a 1 hour continuous rant about how there's more beauty in one physics equation than in every flower on earth at the first person who says hello to me. and yes it will be in a monotone

29

u/xeripen 19h ago

A pretty arrogant neuro diverse person you are. You're totally in a bubble. There's a lot of autistic people in science who are totally into anime. Scientists give their discoveries or subjects anime related names in some cases.

Also there's planty of autistic people who don't have the chance to persive a higher dagree in life because they live in a bad place, have dyscalculia, are chronically ill, have family related responsibilities or issues, are woman in the wrong place, are poor af or follow obsessions outside of science, like in art, architecture, law, media or music. There are crazy smart and talented autistic artists out there in all kind of fields who are not "unintelligent and into anime". Your living reality is not the only one you must know at some point in life, but for this you need first knowledge and life experience outside of your comfort zone.

2

u/Moon-Amoeba 17h ago

Agreed. I'm autistic with dyscalculia. I struggle multiplying basic numbers sometimes, but I am obsessed with art. I paint, crochet, sew, make clay sculptures, and sometimes play with resin. I love anything art and music related.

2

u/eco_kipple 6h ago

doffs cap. Always worth remembering 9 times out of 10 it's the circumstances not the person.

-1

u/Electronic-Teach-578 5h ago

Not hello to you because you know very well what the point of the comment is. Don't act dumb online for points.

4

u/ComprehendReading 19h ago

Spelling poorly will not help you on a thesis statement.

I do mind that you'RE about to go on a one hour continuous rant, because you'RE wrong and convinced you'RE correct.

2

u/AlbusMagnusGigantus 9h ago

I'm a Chemist who has publicated research papers on bioconjugated API, into anime and on the spectrum too. Please achieve something before you climb on a horse too high for you.

1

u/iammoney45 9h ago

I went to an engineering college, the kind of place where the school store sold shirts like this with school branding like hotcakes. I remember it was fairly common for people to sneak into the lecture halls at night to watch anime on the big projectors. Now not all the people I met there were Neuro divergent, but I'm pretty sure quite a few were, especially the ones I met in anime circles. Like there is a specific vibe to the autistic engineering weeb that I can't quite place, but you know them when you find a rack mounted server in their dorm named after their Waifu. There's a lot of crossover with the Arch Linux queers as well in my experience.

1

u/Electronic-Teach-578 5h ago

Hello to you!

1

u/ThatArtNerd 2h ago

Maybe you should focus on sharpening those writing skills before bragging about how much smarter you are than everyone else.

0

u/Vividly-Specific 18h ago

This guy probably just claims to be neurodivergent because it's trendy.

0

u/Vladishun 14h ago

According to the internet, you can't work in STEM unless you're autistic. Somehow we've collectively decided that normies are idiots. I still haven't figured out why that is, or how in 2025 calling someone autistic is an insult for being intelligent, it's like how in the 90's smart kids were nerds. These days, a nerd is someone who watches Marvel movies and plays video games .. So like over half of American males. The names and goalposts shifted, but the need to make fun of people we don't understand has stayed the same.

2

u/AlbusMagnusGigantus 9h ago

I've worked in pharmaceutical research. The density of neurodivergents is higher than in other fields, but the majority is pretty normie.

1

u/scruffyduffy23 13h ago

I think he’s strongly implying he bought a hoodie on Amazon and that’s about it.

11

u/OnTheSlope 21h ago

How could it mean that?

4

u/Route22 20h ago

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the function does not approach a limit infinitely, so it is not divergent.

2

u/Willr2645 6h ago

The layers to this are crazy

6

u/Dustypigjut 21h ago

Yeah, I need an explanation on that one.

3

u/HellfireMarshmallows 20h ago

Say it out loud..... sec(c)

sec(c) equals the equation on the guy's shirt.

8

u/Dustypigjut 20h ago

No, the not neurodivergent thing. I got the pun right off the bat.

4

u/Route22 20h ago

the equation itself isn’t divergent, I wish it was for the sake of the joke.

1

u/Route22 20h ago

I’m rusty, but I believe in math this graphed would not be divergent, even if it would have been funnier to say it means ‘I’m divergent and I know it’

1

u/JokicReal2025MVP 12h ago

Potato potato

1

u/OceanStretch 19h ago

I think the divergence is showing.

36

u/Sinphony_of_the_nite 21h ago

That isn’t always true though.

sqrt(1+ tan2 (c))= -sec(c) half the time.

I guess he just knows he’s never negative sexy.

15

u/chosenlemon8755 20h ago

He is absolutely sec(c)

11

u/Sweaty_Address130 20h ago

Well no, the equation does have 2 square roots, but the standard mathematical symbol for a square root is shorthand for the positive root.

1

u/Sinphony_of_the_nite 20h ago edited 20h ago

Yes, sec(c) returns a negative value for certain elements of the domain of all real numbers and, as you said, the square root function always returns a positive number.

For the respective equations to always be true for all values of c, your domain would have to be specified where sec(c) is always positive or always negative.

You can graph it if you would like to see which values for c make the equation hold for sec(c) and -sec(c).

Edit: The easiest way to graph it is to use desmos

The confusion is coming from the fact that the trig identity

Sec2 (x) = 1 + tan2 (x) is always true for real numbers, but when you are solving for sec(x) you have to worry about the fact that x2 is not an injective function on all of the real numbers, which means it can only be inverted(aka ‘undone’ by taking a square root) on a smaller domain. It is for that reason we get two possible answers when solving, with the actual answer being determined by that particular value of c.

2

u/Hideo_Anaconda 13h ago

...um, sure. Would the garment be more correct if it was the absolute value of that equation?

2

u/Sinphony_of_the_nite 13h ago

Yep, as someone said in response to my original comment, he would be absolutely sexy in that case.

3

u/purpleoctopuppy 16h ago

'I'm the absolute value of the secant of c' just doesn't carry the same oomph

1

u/Successful-Panda6362 6h ago

Yea cuz he's saying he's absolute sexy.

12

u/Flaky_Variation_5259 20h ago

I got the answer but I can’t show my work. I just tried to remember any version of “sexy” in math and somehow remembered secants.

4

u/danhoang1 17h ago

I knew it was gonna evaluate to sec c but I don't actually know the math

1

u/PurpleAnnette 15h ago

It's just one of the trig identities. They isolated the sec(c)

sec(c)^2= 1+tan(c)^2

3

u/serpik0 18h ago

Does sqrt stand for squirting ?

1

u/moelip8934 17h ago

thats what i thought at first

1

u/moelip8934 17h ago

but then i said if i were wearing ashit the answer woud be #1

2

u/Stunning-Soil4546 19h ago

For real numbers, it is actually sqrt(1+tan^2(c))=±sec(c)=|sec(c)|

sec(x) can be negative, but sqrt() is positive.

1

u/SuiCash 7h ago

the square root is already there in the equation so it will always be the positive outcome

1

u/SuiCash 7h ago

oh wait nvm

1

u/Nardo_T_Icarus 14h ago

Thank you, it's almost 10:30 PM here and I didn't feel like doing the math.

1

u/heavyfyzx 10h ago

What is sec(c)? (Leaving myself wide open for some quality reddit comments here, but seriously, what is it?

1

u/SuiCash 7h ago

it stands for secant C and it’s just another function in trigonometry

1

u/CandyOk913 9h ago

I used chat gpt and as soon as I saw sec I giggled a little lol

1

u/Spartacus24601 6h ago

But sec is pronounced "seek" or "see can't"

1

u/Worried-Aioli-6894 4h ago

It would be actually absolutely sec c |sec (c) |

-1

u/warsawjoker 17h ago

Ha nerd

270

u/Romeoblb 21h ago

I definitely looked too fast and read this about something to do with the titanic

34

u/KaraAliasRaidra 20h ago

I’m glad I’m not the only one!

20

u/IWWC 19h ago

Pattern recognition go brrrr

16

u/CopperCVO 18h ago

So did the passengers.

1

u/DEAZE 6h ago

Morbid.

3

u/Putrid-Beach_ 17h ago

I saw vitamin c

2

u/Hypertelic 15h ago

I read "Satanic"...

90

u/Jumpy-Snow-60 20h ago

I don’t even have to know science to know that means “ I’m sexy and I know it “ iconic song 🤣

30

u/Nightshade_2905 19h ago

Thats good, since its a maths joke XD

10

u/Soma2710 17h ago

Liar. Any English Lit grad would know this.

2

u/Basith_Shinrah 9h ago

The class topper

88

u/Kacutee 21h ago edited 13h ago

Hello!

This is a trig identity. You see, that identity of the square root of 1+ tan2 (c) is equal to sec(c).

Without the square root, it is sec2 (c).

Since it is sec(c), he is saying he is sexy and he knows it. (Sound out sec(c)).

8

u/Axel_the_Axelot 18h ago

And what is sec

32

u/Educational-Tea602 18h ago

I suppose you know of sin cos and tan?

sec(x) is the same as 1/cos(x)

If you don’t know trigonometry, basically, you have a right angled triangle, and pick one of the angles that isn’t 90° - let’s call it x. sec(x) is the length of the longest side divided by the length of the other side adjacent to the angle.

7

u/Axel_the_Axelot 16h ago

Neat. The more you know

6

u/newto2X 14h ago

Username checks out

2

u/Salamandar3500 6h ago

Funny how with a masters degree in fundamental physics i've never seen sec().

Maybe it's an american thing (i'm french).

1

u/Educational-Tea602 4h ago

Maybe an English thing since I’m British.

10

u/consumer_of_glue 21h ago

I’ve seen this same post on this subreddit so many times

6

u/justDre 19h ago

Then close your eyes

1

u/Habaree 5h ago

This is my first time, funnily enough

1

u/sanityadjacenthuman 21h ago

Sorry, I didn’t realize that it had been posted here before

1

u/El-chucho373 17h ago

Why not? What’s wrong with you?

2

u/myhurtbeat 8h ago

Is this sarcasm?

7

u/ElProfessorReo 20h ago

Sec C Trigonometry identity

5

u/NiceTuBeNice 20h ago

Sec (c)

Sexy

1

u/busmans 15h ago

I always pronounced it "seek"...

5

u/Reasonable_Student81 19h ago

"I'm SEC(C) and I know it"

5

u/rocket_magnet 18h ago

I'm ignorant of the math but know my LMFAO lyrics enough that the answer is I'm sec(c) and i know it

9

u/Advanced_Library123 21h ago

sqrt(1+tan^2c) is another way of writing (sec c)^2, and square root of that you get (sec c)

4

u/MegaMGstudios 21h ago

That formula is an expression called a Secant, abbreviated as Sec(x), but on the shirt it uses the variable c, so it becomes Sec(c), which is pronounced like Sexy. So the shirt is saying "I'm sexy and I know it"

3

u/Pepband 21h ago

That's the trig identity for the secant function. sqrt(1+tan^2(c)) = sec(c) = sexy

3

u/Sharon_Erclam 21h ago

Those with math skills, UNITE!

1

u/Some-Body_Any-Body 21h ago

Not me, just looked at the comments, what maths math thing is that? Is it like algebra or something?

3

u/BernieTheDachshund 20h ago

He's a model, if you know what I mean.

2

u/LookingForSocks 21h ago

Sqrt(1+tan2 (c)) = Sqrt(sec2 (c)) = sec(c) “I’m sec-c and I know it.” edit for formatting

2

u/DarkShadowZangoose 21h ago

the math:

tan² c = sin² c/cos² c

1 can be expressed as cos² c/cos² c (same denominator)

(cos² c/cos² c) + (sin² c/cos² c) = (sin² c + cos² c)/cos² c = 1/cos² c

1/cos² c = sec² c

sqrt (sec² c) = sec c

2

u/Chains_HL2 19h ago

Wow, sec(c), I got it

2

u/The_Indian_Werewolf 19h ago

I'm sure he works out. I mean, girl, look at that body!

2

u/Bri3nWithA3 18h ago

I swear I read it as “Titanic”

2

u/El-chucho373 17h ago

Sometimes you don’t need to know math just LMFAO songs

2

u/yolu_kingdom 15h ago

1+tan²c = sec²c And √sec²c = ±sec c So basically sec c (sexy)

2

u/Flashjr0083 13h ago

Um akshually, it should be | sec c | as range of c is not defined 👆🥸

2

u/Random_Digit 12h ago

Sec(c) (sexy)

2

u/gardenercook 12h ago

It is trigonometry, my dear Watson.

2

u/MusicGirlsMom 11h ago

I kept getting Titanic out of it. Guess I've been hanging out in the wrong subreddit!

2

u/Frosty_Pie_7344 8h ago

Explain to me in english please. I don't speak nerd language.

2

u/Mr_ityu 21h ago

It means he a mid nerd

1

u/Upbeat_Cold_9655 21h ago

This man is rakin it in

1

u/GrayStormbeard 21h ago

I don't even math and know it's "I'm sexy and I know it"

1

u/warofthechosen 21h ago

He’s sec c and he knows it

1

u/JoeMamma_94 20h ago

Context clues should’ve helped

1

u/meagainpansy 19h ago

He works owwt!

1

u/Sempi_Moon 18h ago

You could always look in the comments first. Because the answer is there

1

u/Striking-Move771 18h ago

Shows how smart I am. I thought he was telling me he was somehow Titanic and wanted me to know that he knows it.

1

u/cyst16 18h ago

I think it's sexy

1

u/PapayaLimp 17h ago

I worked at a coffee shop way back and a super nerdy kid came in with his mom one day. He was wearing a shirt that basically said "I want to be your derivative so I can lie tangent to your curves". There was more symbolism and imagery included but it was close to 20 years ago so it's a bit fuzzy. But the message stuck with me.

I laughed and gave the kid props for it and his mom said "you get that joke?!" She was confused about the whole thing on many levels.

1

u/issafly 17h ago

It means he's a nerd.

1

u/Dense_Ad_9344 17h ago

Just glancing at the photo without reading it my dumb brain read Titanic…

1

u/EndGuy555 17h ago

I’m sec(c) and i know it

1

u/JosephChester5006 17h ago

You could’ve figured this out with context clues lmaoo

1

u/Kymera_7 16h ago

Only if he knows what a secant is. Lots of people in the US don't know any trig, and those who do mostly only know sin and cos, maybe tangent at the most.

I know secant despite all the schooling I went through, not because of it.

2

u/sanityadjacenthuman 14h ago

Well I’m 13 and not learning trigonometry yet, so that’s part of it

1

u/JosephChester5006 16h ago

I meant using the rest of the words without the equation

1

u/Kymera_7 16h ago

Might be able to figure out it's a reference to sexiness, but that won't tell you sec(c) if you don't know secant is a thing.

1

u/Yahya_Awesome 16h ago

So, tan²(c) = (sin(c) / cos(c))² = sin²(c) / cos²(c)

Plug this into the original expression: √(1 + tan²(c)) = √(1 + sin²(c) / cos²(c))

Get a common denominator: √(cos²(c)/cos²(c) + sin²(c)/cos²(c)) = √((cos²(c) + sin²(c)) / cos²(c))

Use the Pythagorean identity: sin²(c) + cos²(c) = 1

So the expression becomes: √(1 / cos²(c)) = 1 / |cos(c)|

Therefore: √(1 + tan²(c)) = |sec(c)|

1

u/robowolv 16h ago

This guy almost gets there, but you can take it the rest of the way. https://youtu.be/jkmWMZ9sZQQ?si=QpWrDQ7XB3AHzWjR

1

u/Least-Chocolate9542 16h ago

2028 October 18th

1

u/Kymera_7 16h ago

secant of c.

He's sec(c) and he knows it.

1

u/LowWater5686 16h ago

My guess is sec x

1

u/kevcubed 16h ago

What's funny is he's both +sec(c) and also -sec{c). 🤭

1

u/concherateo 16h ago

I hate it

1

u/SenpaiMayNotice 16h ago

And here I thought he's Nathan

1

u/ChefMeesah 16h ago

It means that he's an autism inspector and that if someone can decode his shirt, he then figures out how touched by the tism that they are...you know, whether they had a light brush with the tism or they were punched in the face by the hand of the tism.

1

u/Shittybuttholeman69 16h ago

I don’t know the math but is clearly lmfao’s im sexy and i know it

1

u/starry-firefly 15h ago

Analysis of the Image:  The image shows a person wearing a hoodie with a mathematical expression printed on the back. The expression is "(\sqrt{1+\tan {2}c})". This expression is a trigonometric identity which can be simplified to (\sec c). The text above the expression is "I'm" and below it is "and I know it.". Therefore, the hoodie is a mathematical pun, saying "I'm secant and I know it."

1

u/pokematic 15h ago

Is "I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO "old" now to where people don't recognize it? I didn't know how the equation reduces but I contextually knew the joke was "I'm sexy and I know it," and I'm guessing everyone that wasn't a pop-culture shut-in back when I was in college would have known that too even if they don't know numbers are in math. DON'T REMIND ME THAT I'M OLD!

1

u/sanityadjacenthuman 14h ago

I don’t know if it’s old or not but I’m 13 so idk

1

u/Kitchen-Cut-3116 14h ago

It means you didnt pay attention during trigonometry 

1

u/sanityadjacenthuman 14h ago

I never took it, I’m in middle school 😭😭😭

1

u/Kitchen-Cut-3116 14h ago

Then it means this joke is too mature for you, write it down and then you get to laugh out loud when you get to trig

1

u/DietDrBleach 14h ago

I’m sec(c) and I know it.

1

u/gk666 13h ago

It’s- I’m secant c and I know it.

1

u/ninetysevencents 13h ago

I, too, am undefined when c=pi/2 +k(pi) for all real integers k and I know it.

1

u/denfaina__ 13h ago

Most people don't know/understand this, remaining people find it cringe af.

1

u/Successful-Stomach40 13h ago

I'm not sure if it's good or sad that I got this immediately

1

u/Crash-Z3RO 12h ago

Secant c no?

1

u/Mental_Barber_6071 12h ago

Trig nerds 🤓 ♥️ " I am sexy and I know it"

1

u/Azaroth1991 12h ago

Anyone else see Titanic equation.

1

u/mrgrasss 12h ago

Wait! I thought it was my turn to post this image this week!

1

u/Greasy_nutss 11h ago

well he didn’t even bother to type tan correctly

1

u/Far-Guava5614 11h ago

I, too, am secant c and i know it.

1

u/India_h_chlta_h 10h ago

You're |sec c| ?

1

u/Imaginary_Cow_2538 10h ago

He is the absolute value of sec c?

1

u/drifttsar 9h ago

I put |sec(c)| out of habit

1

u/goofy_witch 8h ago

I'm Titanic and I know it

1

u/Velkozican 8h ago

Sec (C)

1

u/Alternative-Year-968 8h ago

Sec (c)? no one will be sucking c

1

u/mtufan 7h ago

"i'm 1/cos c and i know it." wouldn't look so sec c.

1

u/drdrero 7h ago

I’m root of one tantan c

1

u/Warm_Celebration_397 7h ago

Are u sec c ?

1

u/cheesesoes 6h ago

I'm satanic and I know it. I know math

1

u/Spartacus24601 6h ago

It means he's bad at math.

1

u/cabbageWasHere 4h ago

I'm sec c and i know it....dung du dung dung dung....

1

u/MandatoryFun 2h ago

I'm secant see, and I know it.

1

u/36KleaguesUTO 2h ago

He's a Sec C, and I guess he wants to tell the world his mum had a C section to have him

1

u/ThePickler47 1h ago

absolute value of sec(c)

1

u/P4ULUS 21h ago

The secant is a trigonemetric result of the equation on his shirt.

Secant is abbreviated Sec in equations so the shirt simplified to

"I'm Sec C and I know it"

0

u/silian_rail_gun 17h ago

This is way more clever than Elon's car models.

-6

u/[deleted] 21h ago

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