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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:50 am
by GORDON
6/2(1+2) = X
Solve for X.
Because this is a big controversy at the moment.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:02 am
by TPRJones
It can't be properly interpreted as written. Is that supposed to be:
6
-------------
2 * (1 + 2)
Or is it
6
-- * (1 + 2)
2
As written it could be either one and therefor has no specific answer. Or, if you prefer, has two equally valid answers.
Edited By TPRJones on 1333119803
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:05 am
by GORDON
And here's another answer:
6 / 2(1+2)
6 / (2+4)
6 / 6
1
I just pulled out of a big ol' flamewar on Fark because 99% of them were saying, "The answer is 9, it couldn't be more clear," and I was saying that the original question was written sloppily, and there is room for interpretation.
- edit - I guess that isn't another answer, I just rewrote yours.
But still. Flamewar over math, on Fark.
Edited By GORDON on 1333120095
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:08 am
by TPRJones
.... but 6 is not a valid answer at all! There's no way it can be 6 no matter which way you interpret it. It can either be 1 or 9, but not 6.
Fark are stupid.
EDIT: Wait, I could swear you said 6 there. Okay, yeah, 9 is a valid choice. Fark are less stupid, but still a little stupid.
Edited By TPRJones on 1333120135
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:08 am
by GORDON
I typoed 6, before. I meant 9.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:09 am
by GORDON
I am sad that I am the only one there saying the answer is ambiguous, but I am not surprised, and another part of me is a little happy that I am not yet agreeing with the majority of Farkers.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:09 am
by TPRJones
Too many edits!
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:10 am
by GORDON
... on the dance floor.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:16 am
by TPRJones
If it were written as 6รท2*(1+2) then they would be right. Order of operations would imply that you would interpret it as 9. However the slanted nature of / for the division sign which can imply that everything to the right is a divisor coupled with the lack of specific inclusion of the multiplications sign to provide clearer separation between the 2 and the (1+2) results in it being open to a bit of interpretation.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:17 am
by GORDON
Exactly.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:20 am
by Leisher
6/2(1+2) = X
Math was always my weakest subject as I find it insanely boring, but my first impression of that equation was that the solution was 9.
6 divided by 2 is 3, 1+2 is 3, 3x3 is 9.
6 / 2(1+2)
6 / (2+4)
6 / 6
1
I always thought you had to do the math outside of the parentheses first...?
Since editing is the thing here...I think the last time I touched this stuff was 7th grade. 
Edited By Leisher on 1333120928
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:43 am
by Cakedaddy
Math fail. Parentheses come first, always.
Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4). The only time you do that type of 'double multiplying' is if there are variables in there 2(a+b) = 2a+2b, so that you can continue to solve for one or more of them. Otherwise, you do the parenthesis first. 2(3)=6. Yes the answer is the same no matter which way you do it, but technically, you did break the order of operations.
It is of my opinion that the question does not have enough information to definitively say if it is 1 or 9.
And I love math. Math is awesome. Math was one of my favorite subjects because it is what it is. There's no room for interpretation. Where history, English, etc was all about convincing someone you knew what you were talking about. So, math is easy and straight forward. I liked science for the same reason.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:48 am
by TPRJones
The problem here is not that the math is vague, but that the way it is written it is not really math problem.
It's like asking someone a history question: "what important event happened on 12175"? Is that 12/1/1975 or 1/21/0075, or what? Until you clarify that date, it's not yet a history question.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:02 pm
by Leisher
Math fail. Parentheses come first, always.
Dammit.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:04 pm
by GORDON
Cakedaddy wrote:Math fail. Parentheses come first, always.
Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4). The only time you do that type of 'double multiplying' is if there are variables in there 2(a+b) = 2a+2b, so that you can continue to solve for one or more of them. Otherwise, you do the parenthesis first. 2(3)=6. Yes the answer is the same no matter which way you do it, but technically, you did break the order of operations.
It is of my opinion that the question does not have enough information to definitively say if it is 1 or 9.
I wasn't overthinking it, I was saying that the problem, as stated, is vague.
Farkers were trying to say that it wasn't vague at all, and was obvious. They are stupid and wrong.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:07 pm
by GORDON
Cakedaddy wrote:Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4).
What do you think the answer to this problem is?
(3 + x)(4 + 2x)
Because the answer to that is why the problem, as stated, is vague. If you understand how to do the above problem, then you understand why there may not be a definitive answer to the original question, and "Order of Operations" may not apply, as taught up through the 6th grade.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:08 pm
by GORDON
BTW, the answer is 12 + 10x + 2x^2.
- edit - Oops, 2x^2.
Edited By GORDON on 1333124411
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:47 pm
by TPRJones
The answers are -3 and -1. And that one's not vague at all.
Edited By TPRJones on 1333126077
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:59 pm
by thibodeaux
Cakedaddy wrote:Math fail. Parentheses come first, always.
Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4). The only time you do that type of 'double multiplying' is if there are variables in there 2(a+b) = 2a+2b, so that you can continue to solve for one or more of them. Otherwise, you do the parenthesis first. 2(3)=6. Yes the answer is the same no matter which way you do it, but technically, you did break the order of operations.
You're wrong. The answer is the same because it's the same. "Order of operations" doesn't matter because multiplication is distributive over addition. And it's not called "double multiplying," is called "distribution."
It's not "math fail" to distribute over constants, it's just not usually very useful.
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:01 pm
by thibodeaux
On the original question, I'm inclined to agree with the "it's obviously 9, dummy" party. If you MEAN for your expression to be
6/(2*(1+2))
then write it like that, n00b.