Viral Math Problem

New York Post ^ | August 1, 2019 | Frank Miles

[Renkluaf]

“8÷2(2+2).” Can you solve this math problem? The equation went viral online this week on Twitter causing major confusion over the right answer. Mathematicians and physicists went nuts about it. Mike Breen, the Public Awareness Officer for the American Mathematical Society, told popular Mechanics: “The way it’s written, it’s ambiguous. In math, a lot of times there are ambiguities. Mathematicians try to make rules as precise as possible.” Depending on where in the world you learned math, as Mashable reported, determines how you can solve the problem.

[Renkluaf]

Cool.

[Democrats hate too much]

I say 16.

[Phlap]

You must have learned math the same way I did.

[VTenigma]

16

[z3n]

8÷2(2+2)
8÷2(4)
8÷8
1

[cincinnati65]

I’ll argue for 1. Parentheses first, then multiplication, then division.

[17th Miss Regt]

I say racism is the answer.

[nuconvert]

PEMDAS (order of operations)
1.Parentheses
2.Exponents
3.Multiplication and Division (from left to right)
4.Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)

[grobdriver]

Yes. 1.

How can there be "argument" about this?

[KosmicKitty]

Order of precedence says operations with the same level of precedence are performed left to right.

That answer is 16

[Gay State Conservative]

16

[gnickgnack2]

Please explain, since the article doesn’t. How does 2(2+2) equal 1/2?

[j_guru]

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

[piroque]

Same answer I came up with ,,,,

[nuconvert]

Correct

[Big Red Badger]

“Potato Salad!”

[Bulwyf]

Because that’s wrong.

BEDMAS.

Brackets, exponents, division, multiplication, addition, and subtraction. The answer is 16. I was taught this professionally.

[Carriage Hill]

16. Got it first time.

[Vipper]

Agree....

8/2(2+2)
8/2(4)
4(4)

Result 16

[RoosterRedux]

1