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.

[central_va]

I did it in Java and got 16:

int a = 8;
int b = 2;
int c = a/b * (b + b);

System.out.println("c = [" + c "]");

------------

out:

c = [16]

[nuconvert]

“It is a matter of which convention you use, not math itself.”

As I stated a few posts earlier, it depends whether you use BODMAS or PEMDAS. The elementary & high schools in the U.S. are still using PEMDAS. If you want to pass exams to get into college, you use PEMDAS.

[kosciusko51]

Mathematics: The Loss of Certainty

[ArtDodger]

The correct answer: 1X16!

[ladyjane]

Exactly. You must be an engineer.

[Cowboy Bob]

I think they are sayinf that there are 2 ways 8÷2(2+2) can be interpreted:

8÷2 x (2+2)
or
8 ÷ 2 x (2+2)

[sasquatch]

You forgot the /s.

[golux]

covfefe is the appropriate spelling. i.e.,

N = R* x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x L = covfefe

[central_va]

42 is correct.

[rlmorel]

I simply saw the answer as “1” and was puzzled there is even a controversy, but...I had to work like hell in my life to deal with math (my crowning achievement was passing Physical Chemistry in college!) so maybe I am not someone who can comment on this...

[twister881]

Tyrone is meeting Shaquanda at the movies at 6:00pm. It’s 5:40pm, and Tyrone is 7 miles away.

Q: Who is Tyrone’s biological father?

[stylin19a]

I wonder what this looks like using common core standards ?...

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Agreed. 42 us the answer to everything.

[rdl6989]

That’s what I got.

[nuconvert]

“I learned the mnemonic My Dear Aunt Susie in fifth grade, so I’d have said the answer is 1.”

And that is still the convention in the U.S.

[combat_boots]

“Row well and live, 42.”

[ArtDodger]

Roger Miller has the answer:
You Got Two Again
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=roger+miller+you+got+2+again&&view=detail&mid=C1D444C8F95C3DE14D91C1D444C8F95C3DE14D91&&FORM=VRDGAR

[rlmorel]

'Do you remember,' he went on, 'writing in your diary, "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four"?'

'Yes,' said Winston.

O'Brien held up his left hand, its back towards Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.

'How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?'

'Four.'

'And if the party says that it is not four but five -- then how many?'

'Four.'

The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston's body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O'Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.

'How many fingers, Winston?'

'Four.'

The needle went up to sixty.

'How many fingers, Winston?'

'Four! Four! What else can I say? Four!'

The needle must have risen again, but he did not look at it. The heavy, stern face and the four fingers filled his vision. The fingers stood up before his eyes like pillars, enormous, blurry, and seeming to vibrate, but unmistakably four.

'How many fingers, Winston?'

'Four! Stop it, stop it! How can you go on? Four! Four!'

'How many fingers, Winston?'

'Five! Five! Five!'

'No, Winston, that is no use. You are lying. You still think there are four. How many fingers, please?'

'Four! five! Four! Anything you like. Only stop it, stop the pain!'

[TheZMan]

It’d help if they didn’t use the ASCII “divide” symbol. Half of us can’t tell the difference between that and “plus”.

[twister881]

José mows lawns for $20 and shares 35% with his helper, Antonio. Together they now an average of 12 lawns each day.

Q: How long did it take José to enter the U.S. illegally from Guatemala?