Maths question for 7-year-olds baffles parents and even professor can't answer it

dailystar.co.uk:

Family Lockdown Tips and Ideas, a mum asked for help on her daughter’s homework.She wrote: “I hate homework. Please help! Is the answer to a) and b) the same or am I missing something?!”The mum attached a picture of the problem, which reads: “Karla says, I have 3 hundreds counters, 17 tens counters and 16 ones counters.a) Can she make two equal three-digit numbers?

If so, draw the counters to show themb) Can she make two equal three-digit numbers if she has to use all her counters? If so, draw the counters to show themThe mum wasn’t the only one left scratching her head.Other parents found the problem equally difficult to solve – including a Facebook user with a doctorate in maths.They responded: “I have a PhD in maths, and I have no idea.