[SoothingDave]

The division sign denotes a fraction with everything before it as the numerator and everything after it the denominator.

Why is it that none of the "2" faction can cite any actual sources for their beliefs?

I gave the google page for order of operations. Pick one. Look at it.

[meyer]

Why is it that none of the "2" faction can cite any actual sources for their beliefs?

My post 337 explains why I see/saw things the way I did. It's danged hard to undo a decade of pre-computer math learning. Fact is, there is something of a trap in using "horizontal" notation for those of us that are very accustomed to having our fractions written in a vertical manner.

[CharacterCounts]

Aright - so you don't believe Sister Mary.

Check Wikipedia:

"Division is often shown in algebra and science by placing the dividend over the divisor with a horizontal line, also called a vinculum or fraction bar, between them. For example, a divided by b is written

This can be read out loud as "a divided by b", "a by b" or "a over b". A way to express division all on one line is to write the dividend, or numerator then a slash, then the divisor, or denominator like this:

This is the usual way to specify division in most computer programming languages since it can easily be typed as a simple sequence of ASCII characters.

A typographical variation, which is halfway between these two forms, uses a solidus (fraction slash) but elevates the dividend, and lowers the divisor:

^a⁄_b

Any of these forms can be used to display a fraction. A fraction is a division expression where both dividend and divisor are integers (although typically called the numerator and denominator), and there is no implication that the division needs to be evaluated further. A second way to show division is to use the obelus (or division sign), common in arithmetic, in this manner:

"

[SeaHawkFan]

Here is a YouTube video that should eliminate all the excuses of the 288ers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiQ_q0oXVdU