• LopensLeftArm
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    11 months ago

    It is not ambiguous at all, there absolutely is one right answer, and it is 16.

    • Primarily0617@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      You’re taking something you learned when you were like 9 years old and assuming it’s correct in every situation forever.

      Unfortunately this isn’t the case and you’re incorrect.

      • LopensLeftArm
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        11 months ago

        Inaccurate, this has nothing to do with the mnemonic PEMDAS, this has to do with the actual order of operations it tries to instill. That order of operations is not ambiguous, there is a correct way to solve simple equations like the one above, and there is one and only one correct answer to it. That answer is 16.

        • Primarily0617@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          And in the “actual” order of operations, if we want to pretend one exists, 2( binds more tightly than ÷

          if you’re going via prescriptivism, then you’re wrong, because there are plenty of authoritative sources following the left hand model

          if you’re going via descriptivism, then you’re wrong, because this thread exists

          • LopensLeftArm
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            11 months ago

            No, 2( does not bind more tightly than ÷. 2( is simply 2×(…, and ÷ and × occur at the same level of priority. After resolving the addition in the parentheses, the remaining operations are resolved left to right.

            • Primarily0617@kbin.social
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              11 months ago

              if you’re going via prescriptivism, then you’re wrong, because there are plenty of authoritative sources following the left hand model

              if you’re going via descriptivism, then you’re wrong, because this thread exists

              • LopensLeftArm
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                11 months ago

                No, the fact that a good many people are incorrect about how math works does not entail that math is an open question. It’s not, math has actual rules to its equations and an unambiguous right answer. In this case, that answer is 16.

                • Primarily0617@kbin.social
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                  11 months ago

                  math has actual rules to its equations and an unambiguous right answer

                  you know you could’ve just started this by admitting you’ve never touched the subject at a higher level than high school and saved us all this bother

                  • LopensLeftArm
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                    11 months ago

                    I’m well familiar with math and the rules by which it works. Those who persist in arguing the case here could save the rest of us the bother by admitting they were stumped by a simple gotcha equation and are embarrassed, rather than wasting everyone’s time by insisting that math is nothing but a lawless, rules-free wasteland where the answer to an equation depends on your feelings at the time.