‎48÷2(9+3) = ?

Quittermike · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:19 pm

I'm kind of sad that so many people are don't know that multiplication/division and addition/subtraction are of equal precedence.

Jushiro · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:51 pm

Quittermike wrote:

I'm kind of sad that so many people are don't know that multiplication/division and addition/subtraction are of equal precedence.

Except that 2(9+3) is one term, not two.

Azelma · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:52 pm

Laelia wrote:

The point of this troll question is that it's not that simple. If I saw an equation "z=1/xy" on an exam, I would be 99% sure the prof intended it to be interpreted it as z=(1/x)(1/y), even though strict adherence to PEDMAS would yield z=y/x. In the real world, implied multiplication is often treated as higher priority, and insisting that grade school rules are the only way to interpret mathematical notation is just pedantic. What matters is being clear, and this question is not clear.

This.

It is what makes this question a troll, because 288 and 2 are equally "correct," depending on how you are interpreting the question.

Newsflash: Not even math is 100% absolute.

Quittermike · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:08 am

Jushiro wrote:

Except that 2(9+3) is one term, not two.

I don't know what how many terms it is means, but it's nothing to do with BEDMAS and everything to do with implicit vs explicit multiplication.

Syntactically [implicit] 2(9+3) == 2*(9+3) [explicit].

Semantically, some calculators give implicit multiplication precedence over explicit multiplication because the way people write equations on paper. For example if x=(9+3) then the equation would be 48/2x. Most people would interpret x to be in the denominator, otherwise you would write it as 48x/2. That's why some calculators interpret it as 2 and others as 288. It's just an intentionally ambiguous question and if you ever come across a situation like that you should slap the person and tell them to re-write it.

Meowth · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:27 am

Quote:

The standard order of operations

terms inside brackets
xponents and roots
multiplication and division
addition and subtraction

Rule 1: First perform any calculations inside parentheses.
Rule 2: Next perform all multiplications and divisions, working from left to right.
Rule 3: Lastly, perform all additions and subtractions, working from left to right.

48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
24(12)
288

Usdk · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:25 pm

i think math IS 100% absolute, but it can be written unclearly.

Eturnalshift · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:09 pm

The calculators just said you're full of shit.

Usdk · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:38 pm

its just an unclear equation.

Jubbergun · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:50 pm

I find it absolutely amusing that this is probably one of the smartest threads we've ever had, and it's in the shitfest. Mods should get triple-word-score for a joke of this caliber.

Your Pal,
Jubber

Laelia · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:29 pm

Usdk wrote:

i think math IS 100% absolute, but it can be written unclearly.

This is true. Math is absolute in the sense that a given operation will always give the same answer (or answers), but you don't always know what the operation is. For example, 10+10=20 is true in decimal notation, while 10+10=100 is true in binary notation. If it isn't clear what base I'm using, 10+10=x could be ambiguous, even though with a known base there would only be 1 possible answer.

Jushiro · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:38 pm

Laelia wrote:

Usdk wrote:

i think math IS 100% absolute, but it can be written unclearly.

This is true. Math is absolute in the sense that a given operation will always give the same answer (or answers), but you don't always know what the operation is. For example, 10+10=20 is true in decimal notation, while 10+10=100 is true in binary notation. If it isn't clear what base I'm using, 10+10=x could be ambiguous, even though with a known base there would only be 1 possible answer.

Next we could add significant figures and prove that 3 = 4

Tehra · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:14 pm

Jushiro wrote:

Next we could add significant figures and prove that 3 = 4

2+2=5 is more fun, though.

Yuratuhl · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:51 pm

for very large values of 2.

Tehra · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:52 pm

Yuratuhl wrote:

for very large values of 2.

that's the shirt i own, but it's not the reason.

Yuratuhl · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:00 pm

I think we've had this exact conversation before.

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‎48÷2(9+3) = ?

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