Can you solve 8÷2(2+2)

[BugI02]

Excuse the awkwardness, but my keyboard doesn't easily support mathematical notation

Are you telling me that
_ 8___
2(2+2) isn't an exactly equivalent notation?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Excuse the awkwardness, but my keyboard doesn't easily support mathematical notation

Are you telling me that
_ 8___
2(2+2) isn't an exactly equivalent notation?

But it's not a fraction. You're making it into one, so that's a different problem.

 

[KittySlayer]

_ 8___
2(2+2)

This is not the equation that was presented to solve.

But it's not a fraction. You're making it into one, so that's a different problem.

Sweet 16 for me.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

8÷2(2+2) = 16


8÷(2(2+2)) = 1 This is the fraction equivalent

 

[femurphy77]

Looks like it's broken INGO also.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

[h=2]8÷2(2+2) = 16[/h]
[h=2]8÷(2(2+2)) = 1[/h]

Yeah. Some people see 2(4) and treat it with priority, but that's not what happens to the equation. Nor can we create parens out of nowhere.

 

[JettaKnight]

Is this from a clickbait site? I mean, at least in the Western culture, there's only one correct answer.

This is stupid, millennials are stupid, common core is stupid. The answer is one and it seems like everyone here knows it.

Well, everyone posting knows it.** Why would someone willing admit they don't know it? Why do you think age has a factor on knowing order of operations?



If I ran upon this is in a code review, someone would get a dope slap because it's not crystal clear what the author intends to happen.


...hmmm... come to think of it .... I think I spoke too soon.


I pulled my trusty K&R's The C Programming Language off the shelf and I see that *, /, and % are all of the same precedence. Therefore, both 16 and 1 are acceptable answers (at least in the C programming language*).... which is why that coder would get a dope slap.



* Note, later revisions of C made have changed this, but since those are done by millennials and damned common core, they can't be trusted, so I'll stand by my answer of "there's two answers".

** After reviewing the other posts, (now why would I do that before posting?) it seems that INGO is not in agreement, and pretty much none of the posters are under 30.

 

[2A_Tom]

This has me perplexed. I was taught PEMDAS and the answer is 16.

8/2(2+2)

P (2+2) = 4
E none
M 2 X 4 = 8
D 8 / 8 = 1
A was in perens
S none

So I guess I'm wrong.

 

[jsharmon7]

This doesn’t have anything to do with “how you were taught.” Math equations have one, concrete answer. This one is 16.

EDIT: There is apparently a lot of confusion across the web, but I stand by the answer being 16.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

This has me perplexed. I was taught PEMDAS and the answer is 16.

8/2(2+2)

P (2+2) = 4
E none
M 2 X 4 = 8
D 8 / 8 = 1
A was in perens
S none

So I guess I'm wrong.

Multiplication and division are in the same level you go left to right to see which is first, same with addition and subtraction.

 

[2A_Tom]

That is what I always thought, but people who may be smarter than me get me confused.

I need to get a dose of narcissistic I'm always right syndrome.

 

[gmcttr]

Apparently this has broken the internet...

Hmmm...I hadn't noticed the internet being broken yet.

 

[JettaKnight]

This doesn’t have anything to do with “how you were taught.” Math equations have one, concrete answer. This one is 16.

As I posted, I was quick to say "there's only one answer!" - Then I thought about it.



Mathematical concepts are concrete, how they are expressed in written form are not.

In 1978 when Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie basically created the language that is the foundation of modern computing even they didn't specify which comes first, division or multiplication.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

As I posted, I was quick to say "there's only one answer!" - Then I thought about it.



Mathematical concepts are concrete, how they are expressed in written form are not.

In 1978 when Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie basically created the language that is the foundation of modern computing even they didn't specify which comes first, division or multiplication.

Oh I've waited so long to be able to say this.

Oh sec... I have to prepare.

Ahem.

We're talking about math, which is absolute. Not talking about programming.

You calculate in the order they appear, not the order you want.

Also

Arithmetic in C

Rules of Operator Precedence

It follows the same rules as we earlier described

 

[2A_Tom]

So I was Right the first time? The peer pressure from the cool kids bit me in the butt!

 

[JettaKnight]

You calculate in the order they appear, not the order you want.

Also

Arithmetic in C

Rules of Operator Precedence

It follows the same rules as we earlier described.

I had to go back and see which side you're on. (16)

Wait - I think I am wrong.... (If I was T.lex, I believe my response would be "Dammit, Janet.")

Division and multiplication are of the same precedence, but, "If there are several, they’re evaluated left to right.", which yields 16, but not because of PEMDAS.

 

[Dead Duck]

8÷2(2+2)
8÷2(4) I still see parentheses that we need to get rid of BEFORE any other L/R M/D rules.
NOT Written 8÷2x4 and NOT 8÷24




Therefore
8÷8=1

 

[ArcadiaGP]

8÷2(2+2)
8÷2(4) I still see parentheses that we need to get rid of BEFORE any other L/R M/D rules.
NOT 8÷2x4 and NOT 8÷24




Therefore
8÷8=1

Parens go away once you solve them. The multiplication is implied.

You still see them because you typed them that way

 

[eldirector]

I think I see the confusion now....

the [FONT=&amp]÷ [/FONT]denotes straight division. Meaning, it is processed left to right along with multiplication, using the normal order of operations.

Some folks are conflating [FONT=&amp]÷[/FONT] with a slash, or more importantly, with a "fraction" slash. Meaning, items to the left are in the numerator, and items to the right are in the denominator.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I think I see the confusion now....

the [FONT=&]÷ [/FONT]denotes straight division. Meaning, it is processed left to right along with multiplication, using the normal order of operations.

Some folks are conflating [FONT=&]÷[/FONT] with a slash, or more importantly, with a "fraction" slash. Meaning, items to the left are in the numerator, and items to the right are in the denominator.

Right, and that's only a viable assumption if everything else is in brackets, which it isn't. So we have to read the problem as it was presented.