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A Simple Math Problem? - Page 12

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TemplarCo.
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Mexico2870 Posts
April 07 2011 21:31 GMT
#221
both of them should be in parenthesis or less it doesn't mean anything (afaik) but yeah 288 is right.
With an average game length of 7m36s over his 6 games in GSL3, this is a no-brainer. BitByBit pulls more SCVs than yo momma at a club on Mar Sara. ♞
Coolbeans
Profile Joined April 2010
Ireland162 Posts
April 07 2011 21:32 GMT
#222
On April 08 2011 06:28 Raysalis wrote:
lol nice trick question ^^.

I am quite sure that most people that do engineering or maths at university will pick 2 since at uni when our profs writes 48/2(9+3), they usually means 48/ (2(9+3)) instead of (48/2) (9+3). If they want to imply (48/2) (9+3), they will usually write it as [48*(9+3)]/2.

Somehow its such an ugly looking equation in my eyes, not sure if anyone else agrees :p


This.
Rhuidan
Profile Joined May 2010
Canada7 Posts
April 07 2011 21:33 GMT
#223
48÷2(9+3)=?

It's 288..
the problem is people automatically group the brackets with the 2..
MasterOfChaos
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Germany2896 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 21:36:15
April 07 2011 21:33 GMT
#224
An extended poll to find out if university courses have an influence on what people think on this question:
Poll: What is your education and what is you result?

288 - And I'm studying/have studied science/math/engineering at university level (1174)
 
36%

2 - And I'm studying/have studied science/math/engineering at university level (795)
 
24%

288 - And I'm not studying/have not studied science/math/engineering at university level (759)
 
23%

2 - And I'm not studying/have not studied science/math/engineering at university level (548)
 
17%

3276 total votes

Your vote: What is your education and what is you result?

(Vote): 2 - And I'm studying/have studied science/math/engineering at university level
(Vote): 288 - And I'm studying/have studied science/math/engineering at university level
(Vote): 2 - And I'm not studying/have not studied science/math/engineering at university level
(Vote): 288 - And I'm not studying/have not studied science/math/engineering at university level



Chill, can you add my poll to the OP so it gets a better data basis?
LiquipediaOne eye to kill. Two eyes to live.
HaNdFisH
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Australia119 Posts
April 07 2011 21:34 GMT
#225
On April 08 2011 06:17 Golgotha wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 06:13 HaNdFisH wrote:
Having a major in maths, I feel the expression uses ambiguous notation.

It should be written (in LaTex, or similar):
\frac{48}{2(9+3)}
or
\frac{48}{2}(9+3)

The fact that the two is left outside the brackets, but without an explicit multiplication symbol leaves the question as to which one the author meant it to be.

Didn't vote either, the question is deliberately misleading.


you gotta be trolling. if not please have pity on the future generations of our youth and become a janitor.



You do not need an explicit multiplication symbol to clearly know when to multiply. The parentheses clearly points to multiplication. Good luck in becoming a math major.


I have a math major already, the only people "wrong" here are those calling others out on being wrong.

I guess part of this is the context in which it appears. Seeing it in a Grade 6 maths test I would assume it was a sneaky test of order of operations and say the answer is 288.

Seeing it in a paper or assignment/test at university level I would probably say it is 2, but would seek clarification because
1) No one ever uses a division symbol past high school, possibly a mistake
2) It is ambiguous, I would probably try to see where it came from and check the derivation myself or ask the person that wrote it.
dapanman
Profile Joined September 2010
United States316 Posts
April 07 2011 21:34 GMT
#226
Lordy I wish I didn't read this thread I feel a little sick.
sluggo
Profile Joined December 2010
United States74 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 21:36:27
April 07 2011 21:35 GMT
#227
Lol. My uncle just asked me whats 2+3*4 and I said 20, but then I realized what I forgot about so I got this right away
blomsterjohn
Profile Joined June 2008
Norway474 Posts
April 07 2011 21:36 GMT
#228
haha for some reason I ended up with "48 / (2/12)" , which somehow also became 288, no idea how that came about since that's not the actual problem... cool tho, guess I better get more of this from my grower :D
billyX333
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United States1360 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 21:39:37
April 07 2011 21:36 GMT
#229
after the brackets it goes in order from left to right

I think people are trying to put it into numerator/denominator form which is only good for chalkboard/notebook writing notation but never with calculators/computers

if you work a lot with programs like mathematica, it really hurts your brain(mine at least) to think anybody could come up with 2
Velr
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Switzerland10866 Posts
April 07 2011 21:36 GMT
#230
with a * in there i would have no problems.


with 2(9+3) i have no idea what to do :p
Mastermind
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
Canada7096 Posts
April 07 2011 21:36 GMT
#231
When I did the question in my head I got 2, but if i write it out step by step I see the answer is obviously 288. The sad thing is I have taken grad courses in abstract algebra, but I have trouble with a simple BEDMAS question.
n00b3rt
Profile Joined May 2010
Bulgaria890 Posts
April 07 2011 21:37 GMT
#232
Chill re-opened just so he can use this as banbait nom nom nom :D At least I can't see anything left to discuss
Yeah, whatever
cnaphan
Profile Joined February 2011
Canada8 Posts
April 07 2011 21:37 GMT
#233
I'd argue that for the one-line division operator, you should put a bracket around both terms, giving:

48÷(2(9+3))

or

__48__
2(9+3)

rather than

_48_ x (9 + 3)
2

For example, if I considered the equation:

a ÷ bc

and tried to write it in standard multiple line format, most would write:

_a_
bc

and not

_ac_
b

as the OP suggests is correct.
NathanSC
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States620 Posts
April 07 2011 21:37 GMT
#234
On April 08 2011 06:34 HaNdFisH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 06:17 Golgotha wrote:
On April 08 2011 06:13 HaNdFisH wrote:
Having a major in maths, I feel the expression uses ambiguous notation.

It should be written (in LaTex, or similar):
\frac{48}{2(9+3)}
or
\frac{48}{2}(9+3)

The fact that the two is left outside the brackets, but without an explicit multiplication symbol leaves the question as to which one the author meant it to be.

Didn't vote either, the question is deliberately misleading.


you gotta be trolling. if not please have pity on the future generations of our youth and become a janitor.



You do not need an explicit multiplication symbol to clearly know when to multiply. The parentheses clearly points to multiplication. Good luck in becoming a math major.


I have a math major already, the only people "wrong" here are those calling others out on being wrong.

I guess part of this is the context in which it appears. Seeing it in a Grade 6 maths test I would assume it was a sneaky test of order of operations and say the answer is 288.

Seeing it in a paper or assignment/test at university level I would probably say it is 2, but would seek clarification because
1) No one ever uses a division symbol past high school, possibly a mistake
2) It is ambiguous, I would probably try to see where it came from and check the derivation myself or ask the person that wrote it.

This is absolutely right. The majority of people who rush to call those who answer 2 bad at math have likely not taken higher level math classes.
Ecael
Profile Joined February 2008
United States6703 Posts
April 07 2011 21:37 GMT
#235
On April 08 2011 06:36 blomsterjohn wrote:
haha for some reason I ended up with "48 / (2/12)" , which somehow also became 288, no idea how that came about since that's not the actual problem... cool tho, guess I better get more of this from my grower :D

48/(2/12) = (48*12)/2
Shiladie
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Canada1631 Posts
April 07 2011 21:38 GMT
#236
I for one trust wolfram alpha on this as a final say...

as other people have linked:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=48/2(9+3)
kOre
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
Canada3642 Posts
April 07 2011 21:38 GMT
#237
lolollol 253 voted for 2
http://www.starcraftmecca.net - Founder
Mastermind
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
Canada7096 Posts
April 07 2011 21:38 GMT
#238
On April 08 2011 06:34 HaNdFisH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 06:17 Golgotha wrote:
On April 08 2011 06:13 HaNdFisH wrote:
Having a major in maths, I feel the expression uses ambiguous notation.

It should be written (in LaTex, or similar):
\frac{48}{2(9+3)}
or
\frac{48}{2}(9+3)

The fact that the two is left outside the brackets, but without an explicit multiplication symbol leaves the question as to which one the author meant it to be.

Didn't vote either, the question is deliberately misleading.


you gotta be trolling. if not please have pity on the future generations of our youth and become a janitor.



You do not need an explicit multiplication symbol to clearly know when to multiply. The parentheses clearly points to multiplication. Good luck in becoming a math major.


I have a math major already, the only people "wrong" here are those calling others out on being wrong.

I guess part of this is the context in which it appears. Seeing it in a Grade 6 maths test I would assume it was a sneaky test of order of operations and say the answer is 288.

Seeing it in a paper or assignment/test at university level I would probably say it is 2, but would seek clarification because
1) No one ever uses a division symbol past high school, possibly a mistake
2) It is ambiguous, I would probably try to see where it came from and check the derivation myself or ask the person that wrote it.

Actually, it is not ambiguous at all. Using order of operations can only lead to one answer, that being 288.
wilsonreis
Profile Joined January 2011
Brazil97 Posts
April 07 2011 21:39 GMT
#239
it saddens me to read people who have a math major saying that it is ambiguous...

It is not ambiguous in any way. It might be misleading, based on the fact that most people didn´t actually learn how to deal with those operation the proper(*) way.

(*) proper as in "conventional" way. Yes, it is a convention. No, it isnt ambiguous !
munchmunch
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada789 Posts
April 07 2011 21:39 GMT
#240
How did this thread get reopened again? I thought micronesia's post summed it up perfectly.

Also, the "What is your education and what is you result?" poll really should have options for, "I didn't vote because I thought it was ambiguous".
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