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Viral Math Problem
New York Post ^ | August 1, 2019 | Frank Miles

Posted on 08/01/2019 4:58:47 AM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: bedmas; bodmas; math; mathproblem; mydearauntsusie; pemdas
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To: Big Red Badger

Looks like simple 7th grade Algebra to me.


161 posted on 08/01/2019 2:41:01 PM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: Renkluaf

R!


162 posted on 08/01/2019 3:29:54 PM PDT by SkiKnee
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To: ssaftler

I asked my husband, a recently retired Chemical Engineer who designed multi billion dollar chemical plants for Dow Chemical Corp and he has to know math. He had to study all the time in college, he had to take subjects like Thermal Dynamics, Differential Equations, Calculus, Physics, Biochemistry. All heavy into math. So easy Algebra for him is just that... easy. Once I started dating him, January 1971, my GPA went up to 4.0 from then on. I wasn’t in such a difficult major. Our daughter majored in Hydrogeology. Smart like her dad, good looking like her dad. So I ask them when I need any math help. I am more the creative type, I used to make all my clothes, including my wedding dress, etc. But I never believe anything I read on internet. LOL


163 posted on 08/01/2019 8:36:50 PM PDT by buffyt (The Liberals make life very difficult for the Normal People!)
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To: RoosterRedux

The * is optional and does not change the meaning.


164 posted on 08/03/2019 7:37:54 AM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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To: grobdriver

“How can there be “argument” about this? “

When you don’t know the rules of math.


165 posted on 08/03/2019 7:47:38 AM PDT by CodeToad ( Hating on Trump is hating on me and Americans!)
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To: ladyjane

“You must be an engineer.”

The answer is 16.

He has the wrong answer of 1. Engineers know the order of precedence of math and know to perform left to right multiplication and division.


166 posted on 08/03/2019 7:50:20 AM PDT by CodeToad ( Hating on Trump is hating on me and Americans!)
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To: CodeToad; HartleyMBaldwin

So are you claiming to be an engineer and engineers always do things right? LOL

It’s *you* who needs to go back to post #36 and re-read it.

Hartley never said there was one correct answer and it was 1. He was pointing out the need for an additional set of parentheses for the answer to be 1.


167 posted on 08/03/2019 9:11:00 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: CodeToad
When you don’t know the rules of math.

:) or when you think you know the rules of math...

168 posted on 08/03/2019 10:10:04 AM PDT by grobdriver (BUILD KATE'S WALL!)
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To: ladyjane

“So are you claiming to be an engineer and engineers always do things right? LOL”

We sure aren’t uneducated enough not to solve a 5th grade math problem.

Dumbing down of America on display. Anyone who graduated high school should be able to perform this basic math problem.

It’s isn’t a laughing matter that our nation has become a laughing stock.


169 posted on 08/03/2019 11:29:53 AM PDT by CodeToad ( Hating on Trump is hating on me and Americans!)
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To: grobdriver

“:) or when you think you know the rules of math... “

Listen, Sunshine, such easy rules are known. Don’t play dumb then demand everyone else play along.


170 posted on 08/03/2019 11:30:47 AM PDT by CodeToad ( Hating on Trump is hating on me and Americans!)
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To: Renkluaf; ShadowAce
"8÷2(2+2)." Can you solve this math problem?

That is easy - it is a syntax error, i.e. no solution.
171 posted on 08/06/2019 3:17:37 AM PDT by AdmSmith (GCTGATATGTCTATGATTACTCAT)
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