Math
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Here is a graphing calculator to use. Just type in the equation with their keypad, and the answer will be shown without you having to do anything.
https://www.desmos.com/calculator
https://www.desmos.com/calculator
most of you are treating it like it's this:
(8/2)(2+2)
so
(8/2)(4)
(4)(4)
16
but it's not. it's
8/2(2+2)
8/2(4)
8/8
1
what i get from all this is that it would save a lot of confusion if we wrote
8/(2(2+2))
or, better yet,
because the way most of you are reading it is that it should be
or
which, when i look at it, i think it shouldn't be -- that it should be 1.
the issue is that multiplication & division are in a way the same operation and take the same precedent. do those types of operations from right to left in the equation and you should be fine, most of the time -- or best thing, like i said, write equations clearly so there's no confusion about what you mean.
if you just plug what is written here into software, some of it is going to give you 16, and some of it is going to give you 1. it depends on whether you assume that what follows after the "\" is all under it, or if only the first term after "\" should be. some softwares avoid this kind of mistake altogether by refusing to treat 2(2+2) as a legitimate entry: they won't assume that writing something next to a parenthesis is supposed to mean 'multiply' -- in order to force user input to be clear about what they want multiplied with what.
some software will give you an error, some will give you 1, and some will give you 16.
have we broken math???
no -- we're just illustrating how important it is to be very precise about our language.
the lesson here is that the equation is unclear and needs to be clarified. either 1 or 16 is arguable -- but i think, correctly, the answer 1 -- because (2+2) term is not multiplied by 8, it's multiplied by 2. in other words, you are following 'order of operations' thinking it is written like this:
but it sure looks to me like it's actually written like this:
(8/2)(2+2)
so
(8/2)(4)
(4)(4)
16
but it's not. it's
8/2(2+2)
8/2(4)
8/8
1
what i get from all this is that it would save a lot of confusion if we wrote
8/(2(2+2))
or, better yet,
because the way most of you are reading it is that it should be
or
which, when i look at it, i think it shouldn't be -- that it should be 1.
the issue is that multiplication & division are in a way the same operation and take the same precedent. do those types of operations from right to left in the equation and you should be fine, most of the time -- or best thing, like i said, write equations clearly so there's no confusion about what you mean.
if you just plug what is written here into software, some of it is going to give you 16, and some of it is going to give you 1. it depends on whether you assume that what follows after the "\" is all under it, or if only the first term after "\" should be. some softwares avoid this kind of mistake altogether by refusing to treat 2(2+2) as a legitimate entry: they won't assume that writing something next to a parenthesis is supposed to mean 'multiply' -- in order to force user input to be clear about what they want multiplied with what.
some software will give you an error, some will give you 1, and some will give you 16.
have we broken math???
no -- we're just illustrating how important it is to be very precise about our language.
the lesson here is that the equation is unclear and needs to be clarified. either 1 or 16 is arguable -- but i think, correctly, the answer 1 -- because (2+2) term is not multiplied by 8, it's multiplied by 2. in other words, you are following 'order of operations' thinking it is written like this:
but it sure looks to me like it's actually written like this:
Last edited:
hey this is a pretty nice site 
thanks for the link, i bookmarked it.
i was using this site to type in equations --
https://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php
it's a latex generator, which is the most commonly used format to type 'official' papers for math or science. those people frown on using microsoft word etc.
i have to write my thesis in TeX, but i didn't want to have to learn all the weird language ((it's like writing code)) so i found some things that let you just hit buttons to insert the right codelets that produce equations. i like the site i linked to because it makes very pretty equations easily, that you can save as pictures and insert in other places
thanks for the link, i bookmarked it.
i was using this site to type in equations --
https://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php
it's a latex generator, which is the most commonly used format to type 'official' papers for math or science. those people frown on using microsoft word etc.
i have to write my thesis in TeX, but i didn't want to have to learn all the weird language ((it's like writing code)) so i found some things that let you just hit buttons to insert the right codelets that produce equations. i like the site i linked to because it makes very pretty equations easily, that you can save as pictures and insert in other places
i shouldn't have said this. it should left to right, and multiplying before dividing.
that means you do
which is
do multiplication first
there's not "2 right answers" -- multiplication comes before division, so the answer is 1.
some software assumes this, and some doesn't.
that means you do
8/2(2+2)
8/2(4)
8/2(4)
which is
8/2*4
do multiplication first
8/8 = 1
there's not "2 right answers" -- multiplication comes before division, so the answer is 1.
PEMDAS
when you type this into google,
8/2(2+2)
it will give you 16. but notice what it does -- it automatically puts parenthesis
(8/2)(2+2)
which aren't actually there.
some software assumes this, and some doesn't.