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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: kosciusko51
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]

61 posted on 08/01/2019 5:46:18 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Flash Bazbeaux

“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.


62 posted on 08/01/2019 5:48:53 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin
Mathematics: The Loss of Certainty
63 posted on 08/01/2019 5:49:21 AM PDT by kosciusko51
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To: Renkluaf

The correct answer: 1X16!


64 posted on 08/01/2019 5:49:34 AM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

Exactly. You must be an engineer.


65 posted on 08/01/2019 5:49:56 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: Renkluaf
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)

66 posted on 08/01/2019 5:50:22 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob ("Other People's Money" = The life blood of Liberalism)
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To: Balding_Eagle

You forgot the /s.


67 posted on 08/01/2019 5:50:36 AM PDT by sasquatch
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To: GnuThere
covfefe is the appropriate spelling. i.e.,

N = R* x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x L = covfefe
68 posted on 08/01/2019 5:50:44 AM PDT by golux
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To: SolidRedState

42 is correct.


69 posted on 08/01/2019 5:50:55 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: grobdriver; z3n

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...


70 posted on 08/01/2019 5:51:21 AM PDT by rlmorel (Trump to China: This Capitalist Will Not Sell You the Rope with Which You Will Hang Us.)
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To: Renkluaf

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?


71 posted on 08/01/2019 5:52:14 AM PDT by twister881
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To: Renkluaf

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


72 posted on 08/01/2019 5:52:41 AM PDT by stylin19a (2016 - Best.Election.Of.All.Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
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To: SolidRedState

Agreed. 42 us the answer to everything.


73 posted on 08/01/2019 5:53:13 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim ( The following statement is false. The previous statement is true.)
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To: Vipper

That’s what I got.


74 posted on 08/01/2019 5:53:19 AM PDT by rdl6989
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

“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.


75 posted on 08/01/2019 5:54:27 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: eCSMaster

“Row well and live, 42.”


76 posted on 08/01/2019 5:55:18 AM PDT by combat_boots (God bless Israel and all who protect and defend her! Merry Christmas! In God We Trust!)
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To: Renkluaf

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


77 posted on 08/01/2019 5:55:38 AM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: Balding_Eagle
'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!'

78 posted on 08/01/2019 5:58:23 AM PDT by rlmorel (Trump to China: This Capitalist Will Not Sell You the Rope with Which You Will Hang Us.)
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To: Renkluaf; All

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


79 posted on 08/01/2019 5:59:34 AM PDT by TheZMan (I am a secessionist.)
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To: Renkluaf

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?


80 posted on 08/01/2019 6:00:43 AM PDT by twister881
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