• cmhe@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    In mathematics and computer programming, the order of operations is a collection of conventions about which arithmetic operations to perform first in order to evaluate a given mathematical expression.

    These conventions are formalized with a ranking of the operations. The rank of an operation is called its precedence, and an operation with a higher precedence is performed before operations with lower precedence. Calculators generally perform operations with the same precedence from left to right,[1] but some programming languages and calculators adopt different conventions.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations

    With math, you can invent your own notation if you like. If it makes it easier to describe certain problem. This is done often. And if it makes sense, you can also change the order of operation. You can even introduce new operations.

    The notation you learn in school is just a common one, but other notations are equally valid and can be useful.

    Therefore this kind of question is not a pure math question, but rather it depends on what kind of conventions or notations people want to use.

    The context is what allows the math question to have a single answer. The notation is just your chosen way towards that solution and to communicate the steps to that solution to others.

    The rules of math itself are much more fundamental and they don’t care about how people decided to write formulas down.

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations

      isn’t a Maths textbook

      In mathematics and computer programming, the order of operations is a collection of conventions

      and rules 🙄 Haven’t even got past the first sentence you quoted and it’s already wrong

      These conventions

      Rules

      but some programming languages and calculators

      May disobey the rules and give wrong answers, like Texas Instruments calculators

      With math, you can invent your own notation if you like

      Yep, but you cannot invent your own rules 🙄

      This is done often.

      No it isn’t.

      And if it makes sense, you can also change the order of operation

      No you can’t, or you get wrong answers, like Texas Instruments calculators

      The notation you learn in school is just a common one, but other notations are equally valid and can be useful

      But the rules are universal. You seem to be confusing notation with the rules

      Therefore this kind of question is not a pure math question

      Yes it is

      what kind of conventions or notations people want to use

      We can see for ourselves quite clearly what notation they have used. There’s no mystery or debate about it

      The context is what allows the math question to have a single answer

      The rules of Maths is what gives it a single answer - that’s what they’re for! 😂

      The rules of math itself are much more fundamental and they don’t care about how people decided to write formulas down.

      Yep, one of which is The Distributive Law, a(b+c)=(ab+ac).