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A Simple Math Problem? - Page 20

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Helios.Star
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States548 Posts
April 07 2011 22:20 GMT
#381
On April 08 2011 05:36 N3rV[Green] wrote:
......I'm speechless....dumbfounded, and concerned about the general population that much more.

it's 288. Division and multiplication are equal in priority so it is read left to right.

48/2*(12)

24*12=288

WTF are people thinking.


Its easy to mess up if you do PEMDAS, especially if youve been focusing on higher level stuff for a while. I love all the people in here who got it right, or wrong lol, and are like "OMG ALL OF YOUR MATH SKILLZ SUCKZ!". Ive taken probably about 10 calculus based math courses and having to remember all the algebra rules is by far the hardest part.
Neo7
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States922 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 22:23:23
April 07 2011 22:20 GMT
#382
Got 288 for the answer.

I read the second one as (1/2) * x though simply because that's how the way the computer or calculator would read it. I'm a computer science major so when it comes to syntax of something, I'm pretty strict since the computer won't interpret it any other way. I can completely see how most people would see it as 1/(2 * x) though since the 2x as a whole can be classified as the denominator. This reasoning is also the same for how I got the answer of 288 (every language I've worked with does operations in PEMAD left to right).

Usually when I take notes on the computer for classes outside of CS, I use an equation editor so that everything comes out in "pretty print" which eliminates any form of ambiguity.
It takes an idiot to do cool things.
Redmark
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada2129 Posts
April 07 2011 22:21 GMT
#383
I can't believe how many people are unironically saying "you ACTUALLY got 2? ahahahaha".
It's kind of like saying "you ACTUALLY can't see the old men beside the vase???". It didn't mention that the security of the world was hanging in the balance, obviously some people would just click on the obvious (at first glance) answer.
Coolbeans
Profile Joined April 2010
Ireland162 Posts
April 07 2011 22:21 GMT
#384
On April 08 2011 07:17 VarpuliS wrote:
8th grader here, is this really considered hard?
Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction.


How about you read the thread and stop spouting the PEMDAS crap that nobody is argueing about...
thesideshow
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
930 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 22:21:53
April 07 2011 22:21 GMT
#385
On April 08 2011 07:19 forthwith wrote:
The way I looked at it was:

1) 48÷2(9+3)
2) 48÷2(12) = 48÷2*12
3) 24*12
4) 288

Between steps 1 and 2, after completing the 9+3 in the parentheses, they essentially drop, and aren't a part of the equation anymore, because they don't demand anything be done first anymore (by PEMDAS, or whatever). Thus, it's just a matter of going left to right from step 2, with division/multiplication being interchangeable in the acronym

edit: Raelcun beat me to it at the top o the page


However, by dropping the brackets, you are sort of bumping it down from P to M on your own accord.
OGS:levelchange
RoyalCheese
Profile Joined May 2010
Czech Republic745 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 22:25:22
April 07 2011 22:21 GMT
#386
I made a couple of experiments in the Maple (math software we use) and there are some interesting results. Perheps there should have been a 24 option in the pool :D


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/198399/tl_math_problem.png
Kennigit: "Chill was once able to retire really young, but decided to donate his entire salary TO SUPPORT ESPORTS"
darmousseh
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States3437 Posts
April 07 2011 22:21 GMT
#387
Using Reverse Polish Notation (postfix) would solve a lot of problems.
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ReversePolishNotation.html

48 2 / 9 3 + *

this reads as
48 2 divide (gives 24)
9 3 add (gives 12)
multiple (24 and 12 gives 288)

This would create a lot less confusion.
Developer for http://mtgfiddle.com
Torte de Lini
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Germany38463 Posts
April 07 2011 22:22 GMT
#388
http://www.myalgebra.com/algebra_solver.aspx

Here you go?
https://twitter.com/#!/TorteDeLini (@TorteDeLini)
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24805 Posts
April 07 2011 22:22 GMT
#389
On April 08 2011 07:20 Helios.Star wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 05:36 N3rV[Green] wrote:
......I'm speechless....dumbfounded, and concerned about the general population that much more.

it's 288. Division and multiplication are equal in priority so it is read left to right.

48/2*(12)

24*12=288

WTF are people thinking.


Its easy to mess up if you do PEMDAS, especially if youve been focusing on higher level stuff for a while. I love all the people in here who got it right, or wrong lol, and are like "OMG ALL OF YOUR MATH SKILLZ SUCKZ!". Ive taken probably about 10 calculus based math courses and having to remember all the algebra rules is by far the hardest part.

I really don't think for most people advanced in math the issue should be being able to remember the rules of order of operation... it's just a matter of what is more natural for them based on how the expression is written.

That's not to say people with degrees in math can't forget basic math but I don't think that's a predominant issue in this thread among the well educated in math.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
panana
Profile Joined April 2011
United States5 Posts
April 07 2011 22:22 GMT
#390
The problem is when people see division, they think fraction, so they see the equation as

48
---------
2(9+3)
Tracedragon
Profile Joined December 2010
United States948 Posts
April 07 2011 22:23 GMT
#391
48/2 (9+3)
24(12)
288
Do the impossible, see the invisible. Row, row, fight the power!
GizmoPT
Profile Joined May 2010
Portugal3040 Posts
April 07 2011 22:23 GMT
#392
i quit this troll thread -.- 2(1+1)/2 is how much ? ^^
Snipers Promod & Micro Arena Creator in SC2 Arcade - Portuguese Community Admin for SC2, HotS and Overwatch - Ex-Portugal SC2 Team Manager, Ex- Copenhagen Wolves and Grow uP Gaming Manager in SC2. Just Playing games now!
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
April 07 2011 22:23 GMT
#393
On April 08 2011 07:18 Mailing wrote:
I always learned even up through Uni that

48÷2(12)

It would be WRONG to treat this as 24 x 12

That you should always distribute to 48 / 24 FIRST.

If you do 48÷2(12x), it is incorrect always to go 24(12x), and you must do 48/(24x)

Is this not always the proper approach?

What they're saying is that technically this is wrong because technically 48÷2(12) is no different from 48 ÷ 2 x 12.

But in our mathematics classes it has always been that we would interpret the notation as you have, and that this was just a given. So in conventional use it would be 2, but technically it is 288.
jongim
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Canada289 Posts
April 07 2011 22:24 GMT
#394

The conflict people are having is


DOES 48÷2(12) MEAN


_48_ x (12)
2

OR

_48_
2(12)


Obviously it is the former, if you carry the 12 down, as shown in the latter expression, you are changing the question...
i am catlul
munchmunch
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada789 Posts
April 07 2011 22:24 GMT
#395
On April 08 2011 07:21 RoyalCheese wrote:
I made a couple of experiments in the Maple (math software we use) and there are some interesting results. Perheps there should have been a 24 option in the pool :D
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/198399/tl_math_problem.png[image loading]



Woah, what fucked up version of maple is that???

Ok, I just did some experiments, and I realized what is going on there. Maple should really be giving an error, but it is actually evaluating 48 / 2 to 24, and then treating 24 as a function. You see, 24 is the function that returns 24 on all arguments. Weird...
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 22:26:53
April 07 2011 22:24 GMT
#396
On April 08 2011 07:23 GizmoPT wrote:
i quit this troll thread -.- 2(1+1)/2 is how much ? ^^

lol you failed with the troll because the 2 in the front and the 2 in the back cancel out each other.
Regardless of how you interpret it you'll always get the same question. Or did I just get meta-trolled.

I take my leave.
Tyri
Profile Joined May 2010
Germany453 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-07 22:25:22
April 07 2011 22:25 GMT
#397
On April 08 2011 07:18 Geovu wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 07:07 micronesia wrote:
I am not aware of any difference between / and the other division sign... they both mean the same thing to me. Can anyone point me to a reference that says otherwise?

+ Show Spoiler +

[image loading]


Basically I use / symbol when scrawling on a single line of loose leaf, to lazily mean x / (y+z) instead of x/y+z, which is more proper.

EDIT: Because of this, I got 2 initially. I was also confused because I could see the poll results before voting so I kept double checking and getting more confused lol

PS GooN PosT WooT



Excactly what I did, written on a paper like in this paint, you clearly see how it's meant to be so there is no misunderstanding.
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24805 Posts
April 07 2011 22:25 GMT
#398
Inserted a new mod edit at the bottom to try to discourage uninformed people from saying "hi I'm new to this thread and LOL at people picking 2 wtf didn't they learn math"
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
YokaY
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States108 Posts
April 07 2011 22:25 GMT
#399
On April 08 2011 07:21 RoyalCheese wrote:
I made a couple of experiments in the Maple (math software we use) and there are some interesting results. Perheps there should have been a 24 option in the pool :D



Your math program just doesn't accept any part of the problem if theres no operator.
FiWiFaKi
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Canada9859 Posts
April 07 2011 22:26 GMT
#400
Yes it's 288... It can fly by you quite easily ofcourse. Another similiar one is:

5*4/10*2 = ?

Ofcourse it's 4 but most people that look at it quickly will say 1.
In life, the journey is more satisfying than the destination. || .::Entrepreneurship::. Living a few years of your life like most people won't, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't || Mechanical Engineering & Economics Major
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