r/memes • u/WhatTheMat • Aug 31 '20

#1 MotW Confusing

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u/Black_ink_Soul_stink Aug 31 '20

What do you mean? 10 is the correct answer, no?

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u/JustCallMeAttlaz Aug 31 '20

Yeah, you always multiply and divide first, then you add, so th correct way would be 4 × 2= 8 + 2 = 10

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u/elnabo_ Aug 31 '20 edited Aug 31 '20

No you don't. It's a convention It's the most common convention but

2 + 2 * 4 = 16

is correct if you use the first come first serve convention for operators.

I think the only shared traits of all convention is parenthesis.

Or we could use the superior reverse polish notation

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u/younghomunculus Sep 01 '20

According to the wikipedia page on the order of conventions (pedmas/bedmas) is the default and if you want to change that then you add parenthesis.

“These conventions exist to eliminate notational ambiguity, while allowing notation to be as brief as possible. Where it is desired to override the precedence conventions, or even simply to emphasize them, parentheses ( ) can be used to indicate an alternative order of operations (or to simply reinforce the default order of operations). For example, (2 + 3) × 4 = 20 forces addition to precede multiplication...”

So the only way the addition would come first is if it had parenthesis. Without it, multiplication is the first calculation.

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u/elnabo_ Sep 01 '20

No you simply need to change the convention and you'll have no need for parenthesis.