48÷2(9+3) = ?

Kumi3

Flaccid Member
Feb 8, 2011
64
2
I didn't mean the word context in any technical sense. I'll try a simpler illustration:

No, you're fine with what you're saying. I as just adding my thoughts, but noting that I have no real knowledge of specialised or obscure branches of mathematics.

(Apology 2, is that keeping up with the chat is difficult, as apparently I am only allowed 3 posts over a 72 hour period...)


It seems the introduction of a convention doesn't really work, if not all participants adhere to it.

But you think differently. You're not wrong, just a different choice. There's the ambiguity.

So when Stephen Hawking comes up with 288, instead of 2 - I assume he won't spontaneously implode into a black hole, because all of his quantum physicist mates follow the same rules as he.

There must consistency within certain fields, eg. engineering, otherwise our bridges would fall down. This actually interests me - how aligned are the various fields, which ones differ, and why.


I'm not sure we had a '/' when I was learning the foundations - I don't remember it, an any case. I think it was the late '70s when we began to use it. Up until then I think, we still had the flat '_'.

There were also these things called 'pencils' !
 

Gir633

Señor Member
Oct 28, 2008
556
172
There were also these things called 'pencils' !

Hey I used those... when I had 3 years of drafting in college.

I wonder if they still teach hand drafting or do they just go straight into cad/cam?
 

Kumi3

Flaccid Member
Feb 8, 2011
64
2
I've still got my 'Rotring' inkers !

A decent Rapidograph set of that's not seen the light of day in 30 years.
 

endless_blue_water

Active Member
Jan 19, 2011
107
196
The answer is ambiguous because no context is given. Every answer is assuming particular mathematical conventions. But different contexts (calculator, programming language, written mathematics) use different conventions and no particular convention is correct.

Right on!

I know in general-math and even programming languages such as PHP, parenthesis always come first. However, I'm just wondering, is this rule also true for all programming languages, like C, C++, JavaScript?


And if both units were to be multiplied, why was the multiplication symbol not just added to the question in the original post?
Q: If there is no multiplication symbol, is it just assumed you multiply the two units? Just curious?

48÷2 x (9+3) = ?