Thank you all for this wonderful math discussion. I thought I understood math before this thread. Anyway, it seems to me that the answer has to be 9.
Givens:
1. PEDMAS is correct
2. PEDMAS = PEMDSA (as a Randian Objctivist I assert that division and multiplication have equal standings in the order of operations and cannot at the same time be unequal due to someone creating a mnemonic.)
3. The person who posed this question knew enough about math to understand the logic problems this would cause mathletes.
4. With point 3 stipulated, the original author could have written this problem as 6/2(1+2), but didn't for a reason. (for some reason I can't stop thinking of Vizzini arguing with himself over which goblet of iocane laced wine he should drink for the Dread Pirate Roberts)
Therefore, we have :
6 divided by 2(3) (I just spent 3 minutes looking for the divided by symbol on my keyboard without success)
3(3)
9
BTW, after being out of high school for over 20 years I am taking my math placement tests for college on Tuesday. I do not have the math background that some on this board have, but hopefully I'll be computer engineer in a few years. This tread is certainly thought provoking.
I agree... but sometimes... they can be a bit too passionate. lol One of my linguistics professors would often go on big tangents if he was on a "roll". lol It usually ended up with him trying to explain things with terms that we haven't even heard of before. He definitely knows his stuff though!
I was taught that a number next to parenthesis means nothing more than a multiplication sign. Therefore, 6 / 2(3) reads 6 / 2 * 3 = 9.
Anyone who says do order of operations and gets the answer 1 is simply mistaken for what the P in PEMDAS means. It means do what is INSIDE the parenthesis, not multiply what is on the outside by what is on the inside.
Welcome windowshade! I've seen several emails from math professors that solved the problem and they all say 9 (if none of them are photoshopped... but that would be a bit extreme). I'll see if I can try to dig them up because I saw them in the many posts on Facebook.
I do agree with the poster that it would be different if the symbol was '/' instead of '
So...mathematically.... How'd you separate the '2' from the '(1+2)'
As in the attachment, if you separate the '2' from the '(1+2)', I don't think 9 is your answer.
.
I dunno... even kAlgebra under Linux gives answer as 1.
So...mathematically.... How'd you separate the '2' from the '(1+2)'
As in the attachment, if you separate the '2' from the '(1+2)', I don't think 9 is your answer.
.
I dunno... even kAlgebra under Linux gives answer as 1.
Because that's an incorrect representation of the original problem. You cant just move the 2+1 to the denomainator just because a 2 is multiplied to it.
That would be like saying:
1
___ = 2+1
2+1
Which is clearly wrong.
Everyone who comes up with 1 for the answer has to multiply the two next even though that isn't correct in the order of operations, because they "see" the problem in their minds as 6
I have read the thread, even followed the links, even to the one where someone links to google, and the formula gets obfuscated to (6/2)*(1+2) which is NOT the original expression...
Then there was the detour about functions...
Oh - and I STILL say this will be settled before the Atrix bootloader issue is
Can't believe there is SO MUCH about this on the net!
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