this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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6÷2(1+2) (programming.dev)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

https://zeta.one/viral-math/

I wrote a (very long) blog post about those viral math problems and am looking for feedback, especially from people who are not convinced that the problem is ambiguous.

It's about a 30min read so thank you in advance if you really take the time to read it, but I think it's worth it if you joined such discussions in the past, but I'm probably biased because I wrote it :)

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I would have got 1 by doing 2(2+2) = 8 first. Not because of bracket but because of “implied multiplication.”

Yeah, right answer but wrong reason. There's no such thing as implicit multiplication.

What I am learning here: 8÷2(2+2) is not same as 8÷2×(2+2)

Correct, and that's because of Terms - 8÷2(2+2) is 2 terms, with the (2+2) in the denominator, but 8÷2×(2+2) is 3 terms, with the (2+2) in the numerator... hence why people get the wrong answer when they add an extra multiply in.

number next bracket is not the same as normal multiplication in rule book

Right, because it's not "multiplication" at all (only applies literally to multiplication signs), it's a coefficient of a bracketed term, which means we have to apply The Distributive Law as part of solving Brackets.

÷ & × have right of way rule with whoever is left most wins

Yeah, the actual rule is Left associativity, and going left to right is the easy way to obey that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Lol only tool 30 years to get thos far on basics.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Just proves, never too late to learn :-)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

Thanks for the effort!

You're welcome.