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 :)
Multiplication and division are equal precedence (and done left to right) if that’s what you’re talking about, but the issue is that a(b+c) isn’t “multiplication” at all, it’s a bracketed term with a coefficient which is therefore subject to The Distributive Law, and is solved as part of solving Brackets, which is always first. Multiplication refers literally to multiplication signs, of which there are none in the original question. A Term is a product, which is the result of a multiplication, not something which is to be multiplied.
If a=2 and b=3, then…
axb=2x3 - 2 terms
ab=6 - 1 term
That is what I am talking about. I would have got 1 by doing 2(2+2) = 8 first. Not because of bracket but because of “implied multiplication.”
What I am learning here: 8÷2(2+2) is not same as 8÷2×(2+2)
For several reasons:
Yeah, right answer but wrong reason. There’s no such thing as implicit multiplication.
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.
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.
Yeah, the actual rule is Left associativity, and going left to right is the easy way to obey that.