48÷2(9+3) = ??

What is the answer?

  • 2

    Votes: 261 51.2%

  • 288

    Votes: 249 48.8%
  • Total voters
    510
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Hmgraphite1 said:
The problem with all this is the symbol
FC_Dev_41704_lg-1wjolot.gif

It was created due to limitations in type from the past and has confused scores of people ever since. Several astronauts were sent off course and of course Pisa. The list goes on and on with software bugs and bridges not lining up etc.....
The correct symbol is
ph4y0tshq81.jpg

Divide
Click to expand...
If you answered 2, there’s nothing you can do about it.
 
Gary Duane

Gary Duane

G.O.A.T.
Did anyone in all these 58 pages simply say that sometimes symbols in any area of knowledge are potentially ambiguous?

The real problem here is not math but rather inflexible minds...
 
L

LGQ7

Hall of Fame
accidental said:
48÷2(9+3) = ??
What is the answer?
Click to expand...

First and foremost mathematics is a language, just like any other languages.

Physical arts language:

tip toe (English)
calf raise (body building)
relevé (ballet, universal in every ballet school in the world)

wrestling:

monkey flip (wrestling, WWE)
The Captain Kirk (colloquial)
tomoe nage (Japanese, Judo, universal in every Judo school in the world)

The first thing about language is that it is describing something in the world. Re-write the sentence in English. What is it describing in the world? Without that you have nothing.

And language must be universal, must be only 1 standard.

As far as I know the answer is 2, by the convention of the language.

The question should not be "What is the answer?"
The question should be "What is the question?" in English.
 
Hmgraphite1

Hmgraphite1

Hall of Fame
LGQ7 said:
First and foremost mathematics is a language, just like any other languages.

Physical arts language:

tip toe (English)
calf raise (body building)
relevé (ballet, universal in every ballet school in the world)

wrestling:

monkey flip (wrestling, WWE)
The Captain Kirk (colloquial)
tomoe nage (Japanese, Judo, universal in every Judo school in the world)

The first thing about language is that it is describing something in the world. Re-write the sentence in English. What is it describing in the world? Without that you have nothing.

And language must be universal, must be only 1 standard.

As far as I know the answer is 2, by the convention of the language.

The question should not be "What is the answer?"
The question should be "What is the question?" in English.
Click to expand...
Because many posts are not a single sentence, so in math may not have a single answer due to the interpretations at bay. In a language, a developed thought may require additional explanation. Both answers can be correct, but for different reasons. It easy to "pass" new laws to constrain the truth (288) but the clean truth will prevail in its logical conclusion (2)
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
LGQ7 said:
First and foremost mathematics is a language, just like any other languages.

Physical arts language:

tip toe (English)
calf raise (body building)
relevé (ballet, universal in every ballet school in the world)

wrestling:

monkey flip (wrestling, WWE)
The Captain Kirk (colloquial)
tomoe nage (Japanese, Judo, universal in every Judo school in the world)

The first thing about language is that it is describing something in the world. Re-write the sentence in English. What is it describing in the world? Without that you have nothing.

And language must be universal, must be only 1 standard.

As far as I know the answer is 2, by the convention of the language.

The question should not be "What is the answer?"
The question should be "What is the question?" in English.
Click to expand...
What if we try to use algebraic accepted conventions for a change?
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Raul_SJ said:
Don't wanna read this whole thread. What is the answer?

I do parentheses first and then go left to right performing division and multiplication. Answer =2.

Correct?
Click to expand...

I will try to explain the way I see it. In my opinion, the issue is generated by how the formula is written.

If it's written as as 48/2(9+3), in my opinion that's 288.
Google PEMDAS or BIDMAS or BODMAS (they are the same thing, which explains the operation you should solve first)
If you do parentheses first that's 12, agree with you.
Then, you must solve the division 48/2 (=24), then multiply that by 12, you have 288. That's the sequence, as prescribed by PEMDAS

Now, I see that, with fractional notation, you would write that as:
48
2(9+3)
In that way, you solve first the denominator completely resulting in 24, and they divide 48 into 24, resulting in 2.

Conclusion:
For the formula written as it was in the thread title applying PEMDAS convention, the result is 288.
If you write it as a fraction, the result would be 2, but it was not written that way.
 
Last edited:
TennisDawg

TennisDawg

Hall of Fame
Sudacafan said:
I will try to explain the way I see it. In my opinion, the issue is generated by how the formula is written.

If it's written as as 48/2(9+3), in my opinion that's 288.
Google PEMDAS or BIDMAS or BODMAS (they are the same thing, which explains the operation you should solve first)
If you do parentheses first that's 12, agree with you.
Then, you must solve the division 48/2 (=24), then multiply that by 12, you have 288. That's the sequence, as prescribed by PEMDAS

Now, I see that, with fractional notation, you would write that as:
48
2(9+3)
In that way, you solve first the denominator completely resulting in 24, and they divide 48 into 24, resulting in 2.

Conclusion:
For the formula written as it was in the thread title applying PEMDAS convention, the result is 288.
If you write it as a fraction, the result would be 2, but it was not written that way.
Click to expand...
The formula is poorly written.
 
TennisDawg

TennisDawg

Hall of Fame
Sudacafan said:
Not clear as well. This board is not good to write math.
Click to expand...
Yes, you’re right. Especially on an iPhone. The formula should use a fraction method to clearly show what is the denominator. I’ve read the comments. The controversy is related to that. I think it’s been beat up to a pulp.
 
TripleATeam

TripleATeam

G.O.A.T.
As math currently stands:
48 / 2(9+3) = 48 / 2 * (9+3)

Since division and multiplication occur simultaneously (read left to right) you divide 48 by 2, then multiply by (9+3), which gives 288.

The ambiguity lies in the use of the division symbol, which implies left / right when using ÷ (in certain textbooks many decades ago), but proper order of operations when using /.

However, in the current day, ÷ and / are interchangeable, and / is actually preferred to avoid such ambiguity.

So if you go by the archaic use of ÷, the answer is 2. If you go by modern mathematics, the answer is 288.

EDIT: I seem to be mistaken. Math doesn't have an answer for us, as this is what parentheses were created to prevent - ambiguity.

The answer seems to lie in the use of implied multiplication. Say you have 6 / 2(x). Is that 3x or 6/(2x)? Mathematics doesn't agree, so any self-respecting mathematician would use parentheses to explain what they mean.

Don't ask a vague question and then act smug when someone doesn't give the answer you want. The fault lies in the question, not in those answering it.
 
Last edited:
Steady Eddy

Steady Eddy

Legend
Sudacafan said:
48
2(9+3)
Is 2
But that is other thing
Click to expand...
But this is
48 * (9+3)
2

the (9+3) is not preceded by a / sign. So you multiply by that sum, you don't divide by it. It's unfortunate that PEMDAS seems to imply multiplying before dividing, but actually dividing and multiplying are tied, as they're really the same thing, (dividing by 5 is the same as multiplying by .2). And adding does not come before subtracting, they are the same, (subtracting 3 is the same as adding -3). Some teachers use GEMAL, grouping, exponents, multiplying, adding, left-to-right. See? That doesn't mention dividing or subtracting because it's redundant.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Steady Eddy said:
But this is
48 * (9+3)
2

the (9+3) is not preceded by a / sign. So you multiply by that sum, you don't divide by it. It's unfortunate that PEMDAS seems to imply multiplying before dividing, but actually dividing and multiplying are tied, as they're really the same thing, (dividing by 5 is the same as multiplying by .2). And adding does not come before subtracting, they are the same, (subtracting 3 is the same as adding -3). Some teachers use GEMAL, grouping, exponents, multiplying, adding, left-to-right. See? That doesn't mention dividing or subtracting because it's redundant.
Click to expand...
No. The fraction line fell short in this sh1tty interface. I did not write that. Sorry.
 
Steady Eddy

Steady Eddy

Legend
Sudacafan said:
No. The fraction line fell short in this sh1tty interface. I did not write that. Sorry.
Click to expand...
I know that on a TI-83 or 84 that if you want the answer to 100/(4*3*2*7), you can use parenthesis like I just did, or you can type 100/4/3/2/7. But if you type 100/4*3*2*7 it will only divide by the 4. The 3, 2, and 7 will all get tossed up in the numerator.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Steady Eddy said:
I know that on a TI-83 or 84 that if you want the answer to 100/(4*3*2*7), you can use parenthesis like I just did, or you can type 100/4/3/2/7. But if you type 100/4*3*2*7 it will only divide by the 4. The 3, 2, and 7 will all get tossed up in the numerator.
Click to expand...
Agree, and I know.
I just wanted to draw a long division line and put everything coming after under that line, to represent the 2 result, just for that alternative. It didn’t show like that.
 
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