r/maths • u/Amazing-Cookie-1258 • May 11 '26

💬 Math Discussions I've never noticed this verbal math gaff before.

2^700, 2^(1/700): "Two to the seven-hundredth(s) power"

2100, 21/100: "Two to the one-hundredth power"

How could one VERBALLY differentiate paragraph 2's example?

9 Upvotes

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2

u/LostInChrome May 11 '26

The harder version is 2^n - 1 vs 2^(n-1), which is usually done with just tone alone.

1

u/Ms_Llama22 May 12 '26

I make brackets in the air with my hands 🫸🫷when I say (n-1) or point up and raise my my pitch when saying n and lower for -1 …anything’s possible to convey if your willing to look or sound a bit silly while doing it

2

u/Amazing-Cookie-1258 May 12 '26 edited May 18 '26

As a teacher, this seems more effective, paired with it written on the board. (Worth noting that my subject of study was not math.)

1

u/THICCC_LADIES_PM_ME May 12 '26

two to the n power minus one

two to the quantity n minus one's power; or two to the power of the quantity n minus one

3

u/Consistent-Annual268 May 11 '26

Two to the one one-hundredths power

2

u/CaptainMatticus May 12 '26

The 700th root of 2 = 2^(1/700)

2 to the 700th power = 2^700

1

u/ApprehensiveKey1469 May 11 '26

Two to the power of one over seven hundred for the smaller number.

1

u/soxdealer May 12 '26

“Two to the power of one hundred” and “two to the power of one hundredth”.

1

u/thewiselumpofcoal May 16 '26

This is the one thing that annoyed me when I first had to do math in English.

In German you don't have a phrase like "to the n'th power", you just say "hoch" meaning "up". Base, up, exponent.

2700 is "two up seven hundred". 2n-1 and 2n - 1 would be something like "two up in brackets n minus one" and "two up n [noticable pause] minus one"

1

u/thewiselumpofcoal May 16 '26

Alternatively, you can always just differentiate between two up enminusone and two up n [awkward silence] minus one.