This thought experiment has been bugging me for quite some time, and I’d love to hear perspectives from the community. Setup: Imagine two parallel class-one levers (Levers 1 and 2 in the figure), with identical length. Their ends are connected by a pair of three-piston hydraulic cylinders (shown in figure), which are also identical. We assume all ideal conditions: incompressible fluid, rigid members, frictionless hinged joints. * Lever 1 is hinged exactly at its midpoint. * Lever 2 has an adjustable central hinge, meaning its left and right arm lengths (A and B) can be unequal. Question: If we apply a known input force FL at the left piston, what output force FR must act on the right piston for the system to remain in stable equilibrium? Two cases: 1) Case 1: A=B This seems straightforward. Balancing moments in both levers and applying Pascal’s law gives FR = FL 2) Case 2: A>B Here’s the puzzle. With unequal lever arms, the moment balance for Lever 1 and Lever 2 no longer matches. FR becomes indeterminate! Does this mean static equilibrium is impossible in this configuration? Could the system only exist in dynamic equilibrium instead? Implication: If so, it suggests that even a tiny asymmetry (A slightly different from B) destroys static equilibrium altogether. 🔹 Has anyone encountered a similar setup in hydraulics or mechanism theory? 🔹 Is my interpretation correct, or am I missing something fundamental? Would really appreciate insights on this paradox.