Alright, let's solve this problem step by step. We have 3173 and 5988 and we're adding them together.

Step 1: We'll start by adding the digits 3 & 8 in column 1 and get 11.
We'll write down the last digit 1 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 2: We'll start by adding the digits 7 & 8 in column 2 and get 16.
We'll write down the last digit 6 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 3: We'll start by adding the digits 1 & 9 in column 3 and get 11.
We'll write down the last digit 1 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 4: We'll start by adding the digits 3 & 5 in column 4 and get 9.

So, 3173 + 5988 = 9161.

