Poll: 6÷2(1+2)

6/2(1+2) = ?

  • 9

    Votes: 516 68.9%

  • 1

    Votes: 233 31.1%
  • Total voters
    749
6/2(1+2)

Do the bracket 1st

6/2*3

Division and multiplication being equally important, do them in the order they're written

3*3

makes

9

Edit: Why is this 14 pages long?
 
Last edited:
Lightnix said:
= (2x+y)^5

coefficients are: 1, 5, 10, 10, 5, 1

= (1)(2x)^5 + (5)((2x)^4)(y) + (10)((2x)^3)(y)^2 + (10)((2x)^2)(y)^3 + (5)(2x)(y)^4 + y^5

= 32x^5 + 80(x^4)y + 80(x^3)(y^2) + 40(x^2)(y^3) + 10x(y^4) + y^5

what do I win?

C2 is my *****.
Click to expand...

But if you don't follow BODMAS, you wouldn't get the right answer... For example, (1)(2x)^5 could be interpreted as ((1)(2x))^5, as you wouldn't know to do the indices before the multiplications :p
 
9 as far as I'm concerned. I was taught BIDMAS as the order to evaluate things... Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.
 
BODMAS MY ASS! :mad:

1
____
x+y

Evaluate the above where x= 1 and y =2

Wait your GCSE rules doesn't work, you need to imply there are brackets around the x=y bit first as the addition is performed before division! :rolleyes:

All you GCSE qualifications are fail. ;)
 
The reason why there is confusion for some in the answer is because the equation is not set out correctly in the first place, hence the ambiguity and two possible answers!

Logically, one would first calculate what is contained within the brackets and then be multiplied by the results from the figures outside of the brackets and arrive at a figure of "9" but, for an absolute answer, there should be brackets around the "6/2" ie: ( 6/2) x (1+2).
Of course it could be read as 6 / 2(1+2) but that would be incorrect as it should be written as 6/(2(1+2)) to give an answer of "1" so, I'd go with the first option but there again it's 3.49am and I'm a bit tired LOL.
 
wmb said:
BODMAS MY ASS! :mad:

1
____
x+y

Evaluate the above where x= 1 and y =2

Wait your GCSE rules doesn't work, you need to imply there are brackets around the x=y bit first as the addition is performed before division! :rolleyes:

All you GCSE qualifications are fail. ;)
Click to expand...

As you say there are implied brackets. :p
 
I've woken up and figured out how to phrase my beef with this.

Bodmas is only needed when resolving expressions that are so badly written that they require bodmas. It's a circular issue. Write it without the need for bodmas and you don't need bodmas because you can read it properly.
 
ordinaryjoe said:
you did multiplication before division even though the division was on the left :confused:
Click to expand...

No he didn't.....

He correct;y resolved the bottom half of the fraction first, 2 x 3 = 6 then 6 over 6 is 1.

Too many people have lost sight of the original question posted by the OP and not getting the concept of ambiguity.

Too many people are also fixated on BODMAS that they have lost sight of mathematics being a language with many rules and sub dialects.
 
I think there should be another poll to see how many people voted for 9 and how old they are...

My theory is they come from a schooling that has drummed BODMAS into their brains so hard they cannot accept any other possibilities if the equation is not written properly.

In real life we have to question ambiguity and then work out what the real question is, sticking to one rule and one rule only is not the way forward.
 
plasmahal said:
I think there should be another poll to see how many people voted for 9 and how old they are...

My theory is they come from a schooling that has drummed BODMAS into their brains so hard they cannot accept any other possibilities if the equation is not written properly.

In real life we have to question ambiguity and then work out what the real question is, sticking to one rule and one rule only is not the way forward.
Click to expand...

I'm 30, I voted 9 and gave my reasons early in the thread.
I stand by my vote and still think the answer is 9.

I can certainly see why people think it's 1, but the whole point of maths is that it isn't ambiguous and that there are rules that define how things are done.
I now work as a software developer and if it wasn't for those rules none of what I do on a daily basis would ever work.
 
plasmahal said:
I think there should be another poll to see how many people voted for 9 and how old they are...

My theory is they come from a schooling that has drummed BODMAS into their brains so hard they cannot accept any other possibilities if the equation is not written properly.

In real life we have to question ambiguity and then work out what the real question is, sticking to one rule and one rule only is not the way forward.
Click to expand...

I'm 41 and I voted 9, however I can see how it can be 1 as well. When I answered 9 I didn't really give it any more than a cursory thought until the debate started and it became clear that the whole thing was engineered to be ambiguous and argumentative.

An argument that is still going strong I see.
 
Posting this again, it disappeard plenty of pages back haha.

mathstroll.png
 
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