Poll: 6÷2(1+2)

[guyfawkes5]

It's the lack of knowledge of this standard, and unwillingness to embrace said standard when some would prefer "ambiguity" as a solution.

I don't think there's a single poster in this thread who is not aware of this 'standard'. Knowing of BODMAS doesn't mean that you have to automatically think it applies universally.

 

[Blue160]

My wife just had a look at this thread, and told me with great confidence that the answer is 7

 

[ordinaryjoe]

I don't think there's a single poster in this thread who is not aware of this 'standard'. Knowing of BODMAS doesn't mean that you have to automatically think it applies universally.

Give me a case where you wouldn't use BODMAS or where it would be wrong or doesn't apply then (taking into consideration that the use of ____ means that brackets are implied on whatever is over or under the line but no further)

 

[guyfawkes5]

Give me a case where you wouldn't use BODMAS or where it would be wrong or doesn't apply then (taking into consideration that the use of ____ means that brackets are implied on whatever is over or under the line but no further)

That's funny, repeatedly throughout this GCSEers have stated that brackets are never, ever implied and the sum should be seen as is.

 

[Castiel]

That's funny, repeatedly throughout this GCSEers have stated that brackets are never, ever implied and the sum should be seen as is.

Maybe that just implies that GCSE's are cack!

 

[gambitt]

Give me a case where you wouldn't use BODMAS or where it would be wrong or doesn't apply then (taking into consideration that the use of ____ means that brackets are implied on whatever is over or under the line but no further)

Dear BODMAS and "we must go left to right!!1" lovers (and ÷ symbol lovers - dowie), how would you tackle this one?

Do you divide or calculate the integral first? Do the rules of BODMAS and "left to right" apply to integration and if so, where does it come in the pecking order? Or perhaps it only applies to very basic maths which kids do.

 

[ordinaryjoe]

What??? If you have
5+2
3

You have 7/3... i.e Brackets are implied on the 5+2 so you have 7/3

 

[ordinaryjoe]

Dear BODMAS and "we must go left to right!!1" lovers (and ÷ symbol lovers - dowie), how would you tackle this one?

Do you divide or calculate the integral first? Do the rules of BODMAS and "left to right" apply to integration and if so, where does it come in the pecking order? Or perhaps it only applies to very basic maths which kids do.

Clearly, BODMAS doesn't have integrals in it, so you have to learn additional rules which suppliment BODMAS - they don't cancel it but add on to it. However, the original sum does not have integrals, so BODMAS is perfectly sufficient in that case.

 

[FoxEye]

To BODMAS fans boys, Please evaluate the following equation, demonstrating the use of your chosen golden rule and showing your working:

1
_______
2+3

If you don't reply I will interpret this as either, 1) you are incapable of solving simple equations or 2) you've eventually seen the light and now realised that the rule is selective and cannot be applied in every case.

1/(2+3)
1/(5)
1/5

Brackets are implied top and bottom, so his fraction equates to:

(1)/(2+3)

which simplifies to

(1)/(5)

or 1/5.

For those who think bodmas is a primary school concept and not relevent to "higher" learning:

Evaluate this:

(4x-1)y
________
2xy+5

without using bodmas...

(In before: "it's ambiguous!!!")

 

[Lightnix]

Dear BODMAS and "we must go left to right!!1" lovers (and ÷ symbol lovers - dowie), how would you tackle this one?

Do you divide or calculate the integral first? Do the rules of BODMAS and "left to right" apply to integration or only to very basic maths which kids do?

Well obviously there we use BIDMAS

brackets, integration, divison, multiplation, addition and subtraction.

 

[plasmahal]

My wife just had a look at this thread, and told me with great confidence that the answer is 7

LOL, now we have a 3rd possibility, woman's logic...

Answers so far: 1, 7 and 9.

 

[gambitt]

Clearly, BODMAS doesn't have integrals in it, so you have to learn additional rules which suppliment BODMAS - they don't cancel it but add on to it. However, the original sum does not have integrals, so BODMAS is perfectly sufficient in that case.

So we've established that BODMAS and it's associated "left to right" rules are a cut down version of mathematics that are only used to teach kids very basic functions and therefore should not be taken as gospel?

If the OP had stated "please approach this problem with the mindset of an 8 year old" then I will agree that the answer is 9.

 

[guyfawkes5]

Clearly, BODMAS doesn't have integrals in it, so you have to learn additional rules which suppliment BODMAS - they don't cancel it but add on to it. However, the original sum does not have integrals, so BODMAS is perfectly sufficient in that case.

I was tempted to bemusedly ask you what these 'supplementary rules' were, but this point I think it's perfectly obvious you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[wannabedamned]

I dont understand, BODMAS which is a basic principal gives the answer of 9. How could it be any different.... I am however just on page 1 of this thread before i posted my answer. Time to carry on reading...

 

[dowie]

I think we all did, then some of us moved on to study maths in more detail and discovered just how basic (read: crude) they are

So you don't believe you follow conventions - presumably any equation you deal with is a mess of parenthesis?

 

[dowie]

I dont understand, BODMAS which is a basic principal gives the answer of 9. How could it be any different.... I am however just on page 1 of this thread before i posted my answer. Time to carry on reading...

It can't tbh.. and no one has provided a good reason why it can't.

Some people have tried to sidetrack the thread etc.. but essentially it is a very silly thread to begin with - the problem is simple and uses simple operators that most people are taught to use at school - there really isn't much more to it.

 

[FoxEye]

And this, ladies and gents, is why the internet is such an unreliable source of information.

Some people on the internet would rather teach lies than to just admit they were wrong once in a while.

My suggestion would be that anyone contemplating such a question should ask their lecturer/teacher or refer to course materials. Whether you're in primary school or university. Do anything, in fact, other than seek out a solution on a forum such as this.

 

[gambitt]

So you don't believe you follow conventions - presumably any equation you deal with is a mess of parenthesis?

The conventions I follow were established by solving thousands of equations over my academic career. Not once in any of these equations did I have to resort to using the so called "left to right" rule.

Now how about you tell me how you would go about solving the expression I posted above.

 

[guyfawkes5]

And this, ladies and gents, is why the internet is such an unreliable source of information.

Some people on the internet would rather teach lies than to just admit they were wrong once in a while.

My suggestion would be that anyone contemplating such a question should ask their lecturer/teacher or refer to course materials. Whether you're in primary school or university. Do anything, in fact, other than seek out a solution on a forum such as this.

I thought the entire point of this thread is that they probably wouldn't give an answer as the original equation so badly phrased and they would say so, as many, many people in this thread have said so far.

 

[Lightnix]

I think if you're used to doing maths where you have to rearrange equations a lot using a 'left to right' rule can seem like a really bad idea because the terms can end up anywhere so it's best to clarify with good notation (using fractions instead of division symbols and brackets if necessary) where possible.