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Ekoth Ilzaeum · Seasoned Veteran Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 412

I see your point. Well, still, I've seen problems like this before on exams I've had in the past. If ever there were to be a number immediately preceding a problem in parentheses, we had to immediately solve what was in the parentheses and then multiply it by the number that came before. That's how I've always done it and I've never gotten marked off for doing it that way.

But I guess this is a controversial problem. From the looks of it, there apparently is not only one correct way to solve this. Hell, you could probably even get 5 as an answer. 2(1+2) = (1+2)+(1+2). So 6÷(1+2)+(1+2)= 6÷3+3, and if you follow PEMDAS, you get 5.

1, 9, whatever. I think it's 1, honestly, but that's how I was taught to solve these kind of problems. However, I think we can all agree on one thing: Math sucks. amirite?

Zerin · Journeyman Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 105

Cal Hurst · Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 1:22 pm Post subject:

You cannot make 6/2(1+2) into 6/3+3. You're misplacing operators and rewriting the problem. Math problems have only ONE answer when there is no variable involved.
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Yasamin · Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject:

Ekoth Ilzaeum · Seasoned Veteran Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 412

Well this thread seems to have turned into a high-and-mighty thing with everyone trying to say they have a bigger mathpeen than everyone else. I really don't like this "I'm smarter than you, thus better than you" vibe that I'm starting to feel here. And maybe you can or can't get a 5 out of the equation, I don't know, I'm just trying to show how it's easy for people to argue stuff like this.

Anyway, I still stand by my 1. If I'm wrong, I don't care. But that's how it was done whenever I took a math class, so that's how I'd answer it.

Cal Hurst · Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 6:42 pm Post subject:

Sorry that's the vibe you're getting, but it's not one that I think anyone, including myself, is trying to push on you. Perhaps it was my last reply that was, admittedly, written in haste (roommates and I were doing a Walmart run, oh joy).

I know that people can derive different perceptions of the equation, and that's the entire point of it all, to see where people's minds lead them when it comes to a somewhat obscurely written math problem. The basic problem of the equation is that it's written in VERY poor form. You will almost never see a math problem written like it is in the subject line.

I can see how you get 1. In fact at a very quick overlook of the problem at first I thought it was 1, but then went over it a second time before settling on an answer. 9 and 1 are by far the two most common answers. Are you "stupid" for thinking it's 1? Of course not. It's more of a semantics thing on how you perceive PEMDAS/BEDMAS/BODMAS, whichever of the three you learned.
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Ekoth Ilzaeum · Seasoned Veteran Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 412

No problem. I know there's no real issue going on here, but I couldn't help but sense a little bit of competitiveness, heh.

But if the problem itself is improperly constructed, then there can't be one true answer, can there? I've seen problems like this before, or at least similar enough, so I just derived my answer from previous mathematical experience. So no one here is right or wrong. It's just a rather... frustrating problem to begin with. Smile

aulbrey · Sage Joined: 05 Jul 2006 Posts: 555

i know the answer......the answer is .......... get drunk *grins*

GarrettGranth · Visitor Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 7

6/2(1+2)=

PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY

6/2*3

6/6

1

?

?

This is almost as bad as the "can an airplane take off on a treadmill?" question.
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Cal Hurst · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject:

6/2(1+2)

PARENTHESIS:

6/2(3)

EXPONENTS: None

MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION: Left to Right

3(3)

9

As mentioned before, the parenthesis stage deals with what is INSIDE the parenthesis, it has nothing to do with what is outside. Therefor, you do 6/2 before 3(3).

If you wanted to do 2(3) before 6/2, then you would have to place parenthesis around 2(1+2) to denote that such an action should be done first.
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Ekoth Ilzaeum · Seasoned Veteran Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 412

Hmm, thought we agreed there isn't one right answer since the problem itself is improperly constructed?

Yet the argument continues.

My suggestion: let's drop it. No one is right, no one is wrong. And I don't think anyone really cares anymore. Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but honestly, does this problem matter? At all? In any way shape or form? It is a silly excuse for people to rage at each other and assert their "superiority" and "intelligence" over one another. It's just pointless now, and I'm not sure it ever had a decent point to begin with.

Cal Hurst · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 4:36 pm Post subject:

The original confusion lies in the division symbol, as I stated. It's sometimes ambiguous as to whether "÷" actually includes everything after it under the line or not. The problem that he quoted included the slash, and not the ÷, so there's no ambiguity, and to an extent how you remember PEMDAS.

Not to be harsh, but it IS a math problem. There -is- a right answer. Does it matter? No. That's why it's in the Hoots and Holla's forum. Nothing in this forum really matters. If people want to continue to debate it, they can! If they don't, then by all means exclude yourself from the discussion. I and some others find stuff like this interesting. No one is calling anyone stupid at all, unless pointing out mathematical procedures that are standard practice is sounding arrogant or claiming "superiority." It's 4th grade math, no one's going to come out of this a better person.

However, if people's feelings are getting hurt over this for some odd reason, then I guess we can close the thread.
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Cuthbert · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject:

Grignag · Sage Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 500

I am pretty much onboard with Ken's explanation, and not just because I think he is an extremely sexy man. *wink*

Math is one of those fields of study that is designed to produce absolute answers. Even at the levels of math where it is "all theory" and they claim they can make 1+1=3, they still recognize fundamental rules. If they didn't, one man's work would be entirely illegible to another. Things like standardized testing in primary education, besides finding a way to nickel and dime lower income school systems, are used to insure that a uniform method of communication is in place. Math is no different and must be explicit as it deals with direct quantities rather than qualitative assessments.

The difference between giving a patient 1 cc of a desired drug versus 9 cc can be fatal (depending on the drug, obviously). It isn't a matter of opinion as to "the way you think it should be done", hence the order of operations. Part of the joy of knowing the proper order of operations is, as Ken has been pointing out, is that you can come to the right answer, even if the syntax is poorly defined. 6/2(1+2) will always equal 9 as the Order of Operations demands that you calculate it in the fashion detailed above. You are free to interpret it otherwise, but that won't stop someone for successfully suing you because you thought it was something else when it really mattered.
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Ekoth Ilzaeum · Seasoned Veteran Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 412

I'm not offended in the slightest, so keep this thread open. I've said what I had to say, so I'm done.

However, this is definitely the most civil thread I've seen on this math problem, which makes me really appreciate this community. Others on different message boards were pretty much ready to kill each other over this.

Oh, Math, you. *shakes fist*