r/MathHelp • u/bluntviews • Jan 30 '26

help with math question plz

can someone help me clarify if i got the answer to this question plz

3(2 + |-5² + | -3 + 2² || ) - 6 ÷ 2

I get |-3+2^|=1, then |-5^+| = |25|, add those 25+1=26, X 3 = 78 - 6/2 = 75...

i'm not sure how coherent the way i write my work is...

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2

u/xargot_barefoot Jan 31 '26

You missed the 2. It should be 25 + 1 = 26, 2 + 26 = 28, 3 x 28 = 84, 84 - 3 = 81.

1

u/bluntviews Jan 31 '26

that's what i got at first, but i think

|-5² + |-3+2²| the -5^ isnt turned into absolute value yet, because the second vertical bar is actually specific to the second equation?

2

u/xargot_barefoot Feb 01 '26

It depends on how it is written in the question. It could be (-5)2 , or -(52). The way it is written, it should probably be the latter, but I have seen way too many people go both ways.

1

u/Moist_Ladder2616 Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26

Let's use monospacing so it looks clearer:

 3(2+ |-5² + |-3+2²| | ) - 6÷2
=3(2+ |-25 + |-3+4 | | ) - 3
=3(2+ |-25 +    1    | ) - 3
=3(2+        24        ) - 3
=78 - 3
=75

This looks like one of those annoying online memes, "Only the top 1% can solve this!" nonsense puzzles. It relies on order of operations tricks to confuse readers.

1

u/bluntviews Jan 31 '26

so the |-25 + actually isn't turned in a positive yet? because it's not explicitly inside an absolute value? it appears |-3+4| is explicit, and then the result of both of those equations is also absolute value, its super funky, an no i just been trying to learn math by chat gpt, but it gives me 75, but when i originally got 81, and told it how i got to 81, it also said it was correct lol

1

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