6÷2(1+2)=???
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- Опубліковано 27 бер 2023
- This problem goes viral on the internet every now and then, so I was very glad to have an opportunity to explain it on the air. I didn't have very long to talk so that's why I gloss over a few details, but the overall point is still true: the (intentional) ambiguity of the mathematical statement is the real issue here. This is not really about order of operations; it's about the importance of clear communication, which is true of mathematics as much as in any other discipline.
For those who want more detail, Hannah Fry did a great explainer in this article that addresses this same question (though the numbers are different): www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...
And here is my favourite video, by @MinutePhysics, about the order of operations and the deeper issues that it raises about following rules and conventions without understanding: • The Order of Operation...
More resources available at www.misterwootube.com
Thank you Eddie, now whenever I see a math problem I can't solve I'll just write "Yes". Harvard, here I come!
This will help you in your confusion
ua-cam.com/video/_HtJTPelgDo/v-deo.html
wait for me brooo, I'm coming too!
"how to make isaac newton live again?"
"Yes"
Marvelous,very inspiring 100/100
I used BODMAS so I got 9. Anyone else ...
@@attaullahkhan4742 me too
The obvious answer is "5 ± 4"
No, the equation does not have two solutions SIMULTANEOUSLY. Rather it has one solution but we cannot decide which one it is. It may seem like it's the same thing but it's not...
Edit: stop spamming "it's a joke", I didn't get it initially, it wasnt obvious to me. Regardless I shared useful information atleast to someone. About the argument "9 is the obvious answer", consider solving in using bodmas and pemdas.
@@wetraccoonbetterthantrumpactually it's very simple, you just have to solve it in order and you get 9, it's not ambiguous and the guy above was just joking
@@wetraccoonbetterthantrumpit's a joke
@@wetraccoonbetterthantrumpIt’s called a joke, ever heard of one?
@@wetraccoonbetterthantrumpwell obviously the dude was joking
"I saw a man with a telescope" is the greatest example he could give
it should be 'I saw a man through a telescope'
@@minorknight4491 No, Eddie is trying to explain to you the ambiguity of the statement. 6÷2(1+2) is a mathematical ambiguous expression and his example perfectly encapsulates that.
@@minorknight4491you are too dumb to understand it first try
@@minorknight4491Yes, correct use of language (in this case Mathematical notation) removes ambiguity and clarifies the intended meaning.
(6/2)(1+2)=
I think everyone would agree on 9
6/(2(1+2))=
I think everyone would agree on 1
Good notation writing is important. That's why most use two line fractions, they remove ambiguity also and reduce the number of required brackets. They are best practice.
@@minorknight4491you are an actual brick, crazy how ur still alive
1. Brackets
2. Exponents
3. Multiplication and divisions (left to right)
4. Additions and substractions (left to right)
Yes but those don't really make it clear how to interpret 6 ÷ 2(3)
What does "brackets" mean? It's up to interpretation. In reality nobody writes this ambiguously so you don't even need to care
@@fahrenheit2101 it means multiplication. It has always meant multiplication.
@@sergiobricenosIt can be juxtaposition, or implicit multiplication which is the same in algebra, in which 6÷2(1+2) where x= 1+2 would give 1
@@leohenderson2390 no 6÷2x, where x = (1+2) would still be 9. Maybe go to school
@@sergiobricenos No, it means priority multiplication - implicity multiplication by juxtaposition. In other words, distribute the factor through the parentheses. a(b+c) = ab+ac. Distributive Law.
I strive to have this level of eloquence and patience.
The answer is 1
Super agree! You don't often see mathematicians or atleast a normal math teacher adressing the problems faced by normal peopleor students , due to an un-elaborated explanation, while dealing with problems they widely face across not just in their books, but also on daily basis.
Nevertheless the answer is 9,
under the rules of a sequential method called BODMAS or even often referred to as PEDMAS. Either ways it means:
1.Bracket open or Parenthesis
2.M multiplication
3.A addition
4.S subtraction
I am a great admirer of eddie woo, especially from the calculus, permutations and combinations courses that I went through. It made me obssessed with a subject which I had hated in my earlydays! His reasoning behind math topics isn't often seen around, which makes it more accessible to the general public who has merely taken up with the fundamentals.
Thanks for the videos, Eddie!
@@safenomore709Exactly! People don’t remember PEMDAS
Answer is one
This will help you in your confusion
ua-cam.com/video/_HtJTPelgDo/v-deo.html
Anchor: 6÷2(1+2) = ????
Eddie Woo: It's similar to a sentence like 'I saw a man with a telescope'
Audience: We came for 1 answer and now we have two questions....🤯
Lol
With a telescope, I saw a man
@@zmoostofa Why would you saw that man??? AND WITH A TELESCOPE?????
He answered the question like a politician.
We have two equations 😂😂
@@Some1NamedPlays so again a question man is on moon or earth. 😂
I'm not a mathematician but an engineer.
The division sign (÷) is ambiguous because it's interpreted differently depending on the region, and is in fact completely replaced by fractions as you advance in math. I can't recall coming across a math problem made ambiguous by ÷, so yeah this example is meant to be ambiguous. Scientific calculators use ÷ but brackets can / should be used to avoid ambiguity.
what's the difference?
🤓
@@iceyspicey4802hey genuine advice… get off the internet 😊
@@iceyspicey4802"wow tgis person is so much smarter than me, i should use this emoji to make them feel bad"
You:
@@3000-DEN Aw but it made you feel bad despite literally nobody talking to you 😂
This is why mathematicians don't ever use the divide by symbol.
We put terms in parenthesis and use a / for division.
If your math is ambiguous, then it is not notated properly.
100%
genius
It really doesn’t matter, order of operations forces you to go from left to right.
This question might be ambiguous but it teaches us a very important lesson: order of operations is NOT ambiguous and the vast majority of applied math problems don't face this issue, yet in our haste to write equations we may end up confusing ourselves by writing them in an ambiguous way, and that's when mistakes happen.
Agreed. This is how computers do it too. When in doubt plug it in a calculator
@@RazorM97 The problem with that is that calculators solve this in 2 different ways. Because this problem is a problem of a shorthand, linear, method of representing an equation and calculators sold inside us and outside will solve it in 2 different ways. It’s all got to do with if multiplication by juxtaposition has higher precidence.
@@JonGretarB i can't argue with that, you are correct, from what i've seen in most standard programming languages, the order will still give 9,
but it's hard to even deny that these can't be arbitrary rules
@@RazorM97 I don’t know of any programming language where you can even write the formula with juxtaposition(implied multiplication). You always need to add the star sign in between, removing the ambiguity, and thus the answer would always be 9.
But programming languages CAN differ in other things. Like what the modulo operator does like I learned the hard way.
@@JonGretarB Also in some countries ÷ sign has different meanings. That's why formulas should be written using ISO format and problem is gone ;)
If you set up the equation with a fraction bar instead of a division symbol, it gets rid of the ambiguity. That's why we don't use division symbols in calculations. It's always a fraction bar.
100%
That's not the whole problem. It's generally ambiguous if non commutative operators are used with juxtaposition. Both is solved by using fractions but you could also always explicitly write out multiplication when used with a non commutative operator.
@@derblaue 100%
Why not prove the answer by using the golden rule of algebra.
6/2(1+2)=1 remove the explicit division be multiplying both sides by 2(1+2)
6=1*2(1+2) simplify
6=1*6 proven
well the answer is actually 9 cus explicit division has priority over implicit multiplication
In India, we had the BODMAS rule which is brackets of/orders (square roots or powers) division, multiplication, addition , subtraction. That'd mean B/brackets precedes divison and so on. =6/2*3=6/6=1
Loves that he has clear and élégant way of explaining things. Great teacher.
country name
@@user-zn1sc4bd4n Probably Britain, England. Their accent atleast is
@@wowzersfyi its australia
@@user-zn1sc4bd4nyou mean what country he’s from?
@@obbyistguywhodoessomeguides yes you are right
news: so is it 1 or 9?
eddie: math is a social construct; it can be anything we want.
Not anything! What he meant is that the 2 only POSSIBLE answers, 1 and 9 are both true because the way it was formulated can be interpreted in both way! Yes 6 divided by 2 is a division, but if the division symbol was the fraction symbol, we would all have understood that the division works as a single number rather than a division in itself to solve, and as now that Fraction Symbol is not there, even with PEDMAS, both answers are both true because the division symbol is not defined to us to have us know if it’s a fraction or not!
No, it *isn't* ambiguous. Solve it another way.
6 ÷ 2(x+1) = 1
6 ÷ 2(x+1) = 9
which one of those results in x being 3?
A term attached to a parenthesis without an operator between them is *part of the parenthesis term*. Any such term must be distributed to the contents of the parenthesis before any other steps in the order of operation can be performed.
Think of it as if it were a number attached to a variable. 6÷2x=n. If n is 1, then the value of x, the parenthesis phrase, must total to 3. If n is 9, then the value of x, the parenthesis, must equal 2/3.
No it's stupid to say either one. The convention is from left to right and precedence of operations with parathesis taking higher precedence so the answer is 9
@@walidyasin2039 but like in real life you wouldnt have this confusion. technically reading from left to right doesnt really matter. even if you wanted to solve it, it'd be in like an excel sheet where the confusion wouldnt happen.
@@katheryne-bois A fraction bar acts as a grouping symbol. The only way to get a second answer to this problem would be to write it as a rational expression. But that changes the meaning of the expression, and therefore is a different problem resulting in a different answer.
That correlation to sentence "I see a man with a telescope" is such a good comparison.
It makes you view mathematics as a language just like any other language out there: english, chinese, french, computer language, and math language
So true
Well that's why some languages use comma. And then it's exact.
@Ashirwad Paswan well in my language it's simple. If you wanted to say that man has a telescope than you say: I see a man, with a telescope. If you omit the comma then you're looking at him with telescope.
But in maths X(Y) is shorthand for X * (Y)
but language might be tricky, i dont understand how there is no logical correct answer of this?
@@manankjoshi981 it definitely depends on context. We could solve it using PEMDAS if it's deep & theoretical math.
Solving it left to right is possible if we are computing in terms of accounting, economics, or finance.
Both are right answers. Just depends on where the equation is being used
IMO, if a parentesis is right next to a number, it means that number and the parenthesis are together being multiplied. If there is a multiplication symbol between the parenthesis and the number, it would be completely separate.
For example, I would interpret 6/2(1+2) as 6/((2(1+2)) and 6/2 * (1+2) as (6/2) * (1+2)
In symbolic logic, as in mathematics, the coefficients of parentheses are addressed before other operators in the "left to right" reading of PEMDAS. Just like exponents on parentheses come after the contents inside the parentheses are calculated, so coefficients come after the exponents. Maybe this is because you can use a logarithmic manipulation to make the exponent into a coefficient? I have never had any math teacher from elementary through university who would say that answer is 9. Sure they would use a fraction or brackets more effectively to make it more obvious, but they would still address the coefficient of '2' operating on the parenthesis prior to the division operator following the 6.
This is simply why most mathematicians use fractions...
😂.. Might be. I told my wife I just manipulate or set up equations in an order that is faster and more efficient for humans to solve or where I would be more familiar making it easier to solve.
This will help you in your confusion
ua-cam.com/video/_HtJTPelgDo/v-deo.html
fractions wouldn't help because it can be either 6/2(1+2) or 6/2 × (1+2)
@@dooflegoof of course would help
it's either
Nominator: 6
Denominator: 2(1+2)
6
-----------
2(1+2)
Or
Nominator: 6
Denominator: 2
Then multiply by (1+2)
6 × (1+2)
--
2
There is no ambiguity
@@NirousPlayers ohhhh, right, I didn't picture that in my head when I wrote the comment
thanks for correcting my mistake
I'm kinda confused. Equation inside the brackets go first. 1+2 = 3. You have left 6:2x3. : and x are both equally in the order, but : stands before x, so : goes first. 6:2 = 3. You have left 3 x 3 which is 9. If the answer was 1 then it would be written like 6:(2(1+2)). At least this is what I learned at school. Order: Brackets, divide/multiply, plus/minus.
Academically, multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping so writing
6÷2(1+2) explicitly before you simplify at all is
6÷(2×(1+2)) which gives 1.
More literally/programming-wise, multiplication by juxtaposition implies only multiplication so writing it explicitly gives
6÷2×(1+2) which gives 9.
Both are widely used so both are valid.
That's why it's ambiguous.
Yes thats what i thought
2
Yeah the OG BODMAS rule (idk about O but i know the meaning) Brackets open->Division->Multiplication->addition->Subtraction (priority order)
6÷2(1+2). First bracket
=6÷2×3. Then division
=3×3. Then multiplication
=9
6/2(1+2) or 6/2 × (1+2)
It's just the way they write it make it ambigu.
Can't find a better explanation than this, mark my words
If you type 6/2(1+2) into WolframAlpha, it interprets it as (6/2)(1+2) and spits out 9, which makes sense. If the answer is supposed to be 1, it would be written as 6/(2(1+2)).
EDIT: To clarify my point, I'm thinking like a calculator. For example, if you type 6/2*3 into a calculator, it will say 9 and not 1 because there are no parentheses around the 2 and 3. It's the same as (6/2)*3.
Both yield the same answer. Even if you're not thinking like a calculator, you just use PEMDAS and therefore go left to right with the division and multiplication. First calculate 6/2, then multiply that result by 3 and you get 9.
Just type these things into a calculator to see for yourselves. It's really not ambiguous.
From the BODMAS(BRACKETS OF DIVISION MULTIPLICATION ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION) rule you must do the Division first then multiplication then addition and then subtraction so I guess the answer here must be 9
@@thegamingsuneo430the answer is 9 based on BEDMAS (brackets exponent division multiplication addition substraction), but it seems like you’re somewhat confused. BODMAS with your explanation doesn’t make sense, what does brackets of division mean? You also seem to think that you should operate in the strict order of division THEN multiplication THEN addition THEN subtraction, but that’s not the case. Division and multiplication have equal priority, same with addition and subtraction. What separates them in terms of order is which one comes first (left to right)
@@thegamingsuneo430 Neither division nor multiplication holds priority over the other. Once the expreession has been reduced to ONLY multiplication and division, and maybe addition and subtraction...you go left to right and resolve division or multiplication AS ENCOUNTERED. Then if addition or subtraction remains; you repeat. Left to right, and perform in the order encountered.
The entire reason for the confusion is the ÷ symbol. Higher level math doesn't even use it as it creates confusion, so they only use fractions as you can get answers with no confusion. The ÷ sign is for teaching division more than anything, as it looks more like the other math symbols like +, -, and x, making it easier to understand to a child.
Surely you mean brackets first...? The very first letter of BODMAS or BIDMAS or BEDMAS is for brackets... You do them first.
I feel like the purpose of problems like these is to demonstrate to students why conventions exist, whether they be expressional conventions like in mathematics, or grammatical conventions in written composition. Having a set of rules for how to express something helps to do away with potential ambiguities like this and reduce the chances for miscommunication or misinterpretation.
Yes, words have an agreed meaning for a reason. Even acronyms! Without that established agreement, a conversation can not be constructive.
Correct
It also should be an exercise in rejecting improper or imprecise problems. As Eddie Woo pointed out, the problem is ambiguous, it can therefore be rejected as such. Any mathematician would reject this.
@John L I disagree. The agreed language of mathematics that allows for the same result every time dictates this problem be solved in a particular order. Ambiguity only comes when the language is not fully understood.
@@darkfieldcarnivore3928 So you understand what factorisation is?
It's refreshing to see a mathematician own up and admit that no, we don't write perfect things that can never be misinterpreted. My favorite is "negative seven squared" because my students get tripped by that or something like that multiple times every semester.
100%
mhm yep
Isn't that just 49? -7 x -7 is 49, no? Why is there an issue? Thanks!
@@djkhemixit could be interpreted as (-7)^2 or -(7)^2, resulting in either 49 or -49
@@baldabilityoh. Thank you
If you use Pemdas, the answer is "9", which Pemdas is the correct way to do problems like that. You have to add the "(1+2)" first because they are in the brackets, then do "6 ÷2", which the answer is "3". Then since the "3" is next to the brackets, you multiply "3 x 3" answer is "9".
Not so fast, because juxtaposition exists, where the placement of operations implies priority, in such a way to remove unnecessary operators. 2*x means the same thing as 2x, but 2*x means the 2 is unrelated to x, but 2x is specifically telling you there is 2 of x without needing to write (2*x). So in that sense, countries with a syllabus that teach PEJMDAS will come to the answer of 1, and they are just as correct, since the order of operations is a collective agreement for communication, not a universal objective mathematical truth.
Grouping parenthetically is covered by PEMDAS. But there are also other ways of indicating grouping.
For those of you wondering how we get 1, it's due to something called "multiplication by juxtaposition", which means that we assume 2 or more terms put together indicates that we need to multiply them together first before we process other operations.
To give an example, if we say 6 ÷ 2x, we assume that u multiply 2 and x first, before dividing 6 with it. In other words, you're NOT suppose to have 6 ÷ 2, then × x.
This is the case with the question presented, where we assume (1+2) is the x, which means we need to multiple 2 with (1+2) first before we take 6 and divide by it. The only reason it's in a parentheses is because, you can't put 2 and 1+2 together directly without it looking like 21+2 instead of 2×(1+2).
Hope this clears things out, where I'm from, we never really learned pemdas or bodmas...
But then again there are are numerous questions like the math question presented in the video and no one would know what method to apply right?
@@SL_Beast well, the thing is, my peers also never learned bosmas or pemdas, so it never occurred to us to separate parentheses and use multiply.
If I see 2(1+2), I've never separated it as 2 × (1+2), the first time I've seen this is exactly when this question first appeared. So for me, it has always been just 1 method.
Same goes for my peers, I've never seen them separate the terms like that. But funny enough, we were never taught the phrase "multiplication by juxtaposition" either, took me a long time to even realise it's a thing. For us, the idea of multiplication by juxtaposition is more like a subconscious decision, or an unspoken rule.
@@yesno6360 That's 😎. For us I remember really well that in like 7th grade they added a whole unit dedicated to teach us BODMAS. And the thing is they didn't even teach us PEMDAS it was just BODMAS. And for the longest time I thought BODMAS was an Universal absolute math term and that there wasn't any other math terms besides it that is on the same topic/use as BODMAS. They really should teach these things in school to us.
@@SL_Beast The order of operations as it's taught, like BODMAS, is generally fine as it's handy to have a consistent way to simplify expressions that also reduces errors.
(Give M and D equal priority and go L to R for equal priority, for example).
It's great for people with a range of maths abilities.
When you get older and more confident with it, you often stop using the literal BODMAS as there might be easier or alternative ways to simplify.
For example,
4 + 3²×10/2 - 4
You can go in order:
O: 4 + 9×10/2 - 4
M: 4 + 90/2 - 4
D: 4 + 45 - 4
A: 49 - 4
S: 45
You can alternatively also do:
S: 0 + 3²×10/2
D: 3²×5
O: 9×5
M: 45
It's perfectly valid for that expression to do that and it's almost BODMAS backwards and it ended up being a step shorter.
It's all about understanding grouping and the different strengths of the grouping of different symbols.
Minutephysics did a great short video called "the order of operations is wrong" which talks a little about that.
Worth a watch.
@@GanonTEK thanks! I'll look into this more this looks interesting. :)
I'm a substitute teacher and problems like this are frequently given on tests to evaluate understanding of the "order of operations". One of the weird things is that some calculators come up with different answers to those problems than others.
Questions like this should never be given because it's terrible notation.
Academically, multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping so
6/2(1+2) means 6/(2×(1+2)) = 1
Programming-wise/more literally, multiplication by juxtaposition implies only multiplication so
6/2(1+2) means 6/2×(1+2) or
(6/2)×(1+2) = 9
Both widely used, hence ambiguous notation.
Wolfram Alpha's Solidus article mentions the a/bc ambiguity and modern international standards like ISO-80000-1 mention about division on one line with multiplication or division directly after and that brackets are required to remove ambiguity.
Even over in America where the programming interpretation is more popular, the American Mathematical Society stated it was ambiguous notation too.
Multiple professors and mathematicians have said so also like:
Prof. Steven Strogatz, Dr. Trevor Bazett, Dr. Jared Antrobus, Prof. Keith Devlin, Prof. Anita O'Mellan (an award winning mathematics professor no less), Prof. Jordan Ellenberg, David Darling, Matt Parker, David Linkletter, Eddie Woo here etc.
Even scientific calculators don't agree on one interpretation or the other.
Calculator manufacturers like CASIO have said they took expertise from the educational community in choosing how to implement multiplication by juxtaposition and mostly use the academic interpretation (1). Just like Sharp does. TI who said implicit multiplication (1) has higher priority to allow users to enter expressions in the same manner as they would be written (TI knowledge base 11773) so also used the academic interpretation (1). TI later changed to the programming interpretation (9) but when I asked them were unable to find the reason why.
A recent example from another commenter:
Intermediate Algebra, 4th edition (Roland Larson and Robert Hostetler) c. 2005 that while giving the order of operations, includes a sidebar study tip saying the order of operations applies when multiplication is indicated by × or • When the multiplication is implied by parenthesis it has a higher priority than the Left-to-Right rule. It then gives the example
8 ÷ 4(2) = 8 ÷ 8 = 1
but 8 ÷ 4 • 2 = 2 • 2 = 4
The lesson here is use proper notation
(6/2)(1+2) for 9
6/(2(1+2)) for 1
Those would be valid problems to test students.
Better yet, two line fractions remove ambiguity and reduce the number of required brackets. They are best practice.
@@GanonTEK This is why I think fractions are way more useful than using ÷. ÷ is a great way to introduce the concept of division, but fractions are much more intentional.
@@Ninja0Pain Very true. Fractions on two lines are best practice.
They remove ambiguity and reduce required brackets.
It depends on the syntax of the the calculator
These problems are dumb as hell, it doesn't test anything
so in an equation we start with brackets so 1 + 2 = 3. Then if we come across a division step or a multiplication step then we must work left to right, like when we read because we don't read right to left. So 6/2 = 3 and then we multiply that by 3 and we get 9.
I would say that with order of operations being left to right (or so I was told) it’s 9. However if you put the 6 under the rest of the equation, all ambiguity goes away, and it’s 1. Then again, I barely passed Algebra 2.
As someone who knows 6th grade math, I see this as an absolute win.
Edit 1: Damn ya'll need to stop arguing down there. It ain't that deep XD
Edit 2: Ya'll I told you to stop and you just heated it up like an oven
well as a programmer, I see this as an absolute loss
@@beasthuntermohit567 I feel for you
@@KazamaKazuyoshi458 They aren't. 1 and 9 are both correct answers depend on how you write it or what is the context.
@@beasthuntermohit567 it dosent make sense to get 1 like we have always been taught to do these kind of questions by pemdas or Bodmas
@@OREO_____ It makes. Look it as a fraction. 6/2(2+1)
=6/2*3
=6/6
=1
Here's the thing. Multiplication and division are equal when discussing the order of operations. When they are equal it is exactly like reading a sentence. A sentence is read from left to right and the math needs to be done from left to right. This means division is first and then multiplication which gives the answer of nine. Otherwise, why did we bother with doing parentheses first?
100% correct. The answer is 9.
They aren't equal the order is PEMDAS
Making up your own bullshit to solve the math
That's not the correct reason though, multiplication and division can happen in any order with the same result just like addition and subtraction. When you think of division as a fraction there isn't a way divide by 2 and (1+2) because one is a numerator and one is a denominator. It would have to be 1/(1+2) instead. Another way to write the problem is 6/2 * (1+2)/1, both are fractions and now the reason is more obvious. You can also rewrite everything as multiplication between fractions, so 6/1 * 1/2 * (1+2)/1, and the order that you multiply them makes no difference. The result should always be 9 unless (1+2) is explicitly part of the denominator, otherwise it is assumed to be on top. So it's not the order that matters, it's the assumption that multiplying 2 by (1+2) is possible in the first place. There would need to be parenthesis around the whole thing, like (2(1+2))
Actually lookup mathematical order of operations: M is before D... Mixed division and multiplication
Edit
In some of the academic literature, multiplication denoted by juxtaposition (also known as implied multiplication) is interpreted as having higher precedence than division, so that 1 ÷ 2n equals 1 ÷ (2n), not (1 ÷ 2)n.[1] For example, the manuscript submission instructions for the Physical Review journals state that multiplication is of higher precedence than division,[20] and this is also the convention observed in prominent physics textbooks such as the Course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz and the Feynman Lectures on Physics.[d]
1 and 9 exist in a super position and cannot be determined until the equation is measured
Most people here are really lost and think mathematics is just simply blind calculations. It is more of a language in this sense, and using the man with telescope as in example is perfect. i could write 1+1 and the answer is not 2 if the system is binary meaning that every math question needs to be Clearfield and 'order of operation' is usually made for computers and calculators that needs more instructions on how to interpret the question not humans. It is upsetting for me to see that most people find these things as math problems not just silly word play.
That actually is a decent answer because you explain it with a very good analogy.
I ran the telescope question through Chat GPT, interestingly, it stated the following: "The sentence "I saw a man with a telescope" implies that you saw a man who was holding or carrying a telescope. If you had seen the man through the telescope, the sentence would have been phrased differently, such as "I saw a man through the telescope."🙂
Yeah just like how it would have been written differently to be equal to 1
How about switching with a telescope with using one
The answer to the equation of the video is 12!
And.. Chat GPT was wrong. "Through" and "with" are both acceptable here, and have the same meaning.
@@stevejohn7459 no its 16
As 1 month year old Asian-Indian I see this as an absolute ez win
Because order of operations says multiplication and division first but this has both so it's ambiguous. I always distribute within a parentheses first before I tackle the division so this would be 1 if I solved it.
I tried so hard to convince my heart to accept 1 as the answer but all efforts seem abortive.
I'll go with 9
1 is the answer
I have seen this in a comment section maybe it will add some light ( 6÷2(2+1) we can assume 2+1 to be x then we have 6÷2x by simplifying the fraction we have 3÷x recall x=2+1=3 we have 3÷3=1)
Depends if you follow the universally accepted rule of BODMAS or some random American rule. If you follow BODMAS it is 1.
@@usmanbelloahmad6461no you are wrong it is 9 at least according to math we know of 6/2(2+1) is not 6/(2(2+1))
the fact that many people still debate over this is so ludicrous, instead of just accepting that the division notation is the heart of the whole matter, get over it, be thankful that fractional is more common instead, and search out for questions that aren't trivial (i.e. number theory, combinatorics/permutation/star&bars, trig, calc, ineq, ode/pde, group theory, abstract alg, etc, as long as it isn't at the level of this overrepeated problem)
Mathematician: the answer is either
Comments: here's the right answer..
Never fails
People on the internet with no qualifications when someone with all of the qualifications show up... and still call them wrong... are just so idiotic.
You can see this issue in their language. I've heard a bunch of people talking about how the other half can't do whatever grade maths. That's the problem! Most people are relying on elementary level maths without taking into account the other ways of doing things because their way is the right way, but it's only low level. Maths is unfortunately nuanced, despite us wanting to believe it's black and white.
6÷2(1+2) parenthesis first
6÷2×3 multiply/divide L-R
3×3
9
If we were to take the answer according to the laws of programming, the process of addition would be first, then multiplication, followed by division, which gives us one
We’re simple; Start with the numbers between the brackets; (1+2) which is 3 then we move on to the division; 6/2 which is, yes it’s three (3).
Then we have left 3(3) or 3*(3) and that is 9.
In Brazil, it is learned that the order of precedence is parentheses, followed by multiplication and division, but whichever of the two appears first on the left. But there has always been a confusion of which of the two is done first.
In the US we learn the same thing with the acronym PEMDAS, so yeah parenthesis are first and then after that is either multiplication or division whichever comes first left to right
they literally told you the order. You literally repeated it. From left to right ahaha
@@TheLifeLaVita no cause it’s more like
P
E
MD (whichever comes first in the problem)
AS (whichever comes first in the problem)
@@SilverPh3nix you wrote yes* wrong
@@TheLifeLaVita lmao I’m a dumbass whoops
Where I’m from, we’re taught that 2(1 + 2) can also be written as 2 * (1 + 2), since 2(1 + 2) is, verbally, 2 of (1 + 2), which is mathematically written as multiplication. So that means the extended way to write this equation is 6 / 2 * (1 + 2). From there it’s standard PEDMAS, or BEDMAS where I’m from. You start with what’s in the brackets, so 1 + 2 = 3. And then, because division and multiplication are on the same tier in order of operations (addition and subtraction are also in the same tier order, being right below division and multiplication), you do both the division and multiplication at the same time from left to right. So 6 / 2 = 3, and then from there it becomes 3 * 3, which equals 9.
6 / 2(1 + 2) = 9
_"So that means the extended way to write this equation is 6 / 2 * (1 + 2)."_
You can get away with 2 * (1+2) because it resolves to the same number in isolation, and where there is no preceding division in the expression.
When you expand it the way you state, you are falling into a trap. 2 of (1+2) should become 6 over 2 of (1+2). but you are making it 6 over 2, of (1+2). See the difference? It should become 6 over (2 of (1+2)), not (6 over 2) of (1+2).
Unlucky, Ed said its both correct when actually the division instead of fraction is lacking clarity after using infix notation rather than prefix - so many reductions to terms that finally become ambiguous when used wrong like writing 6/2*(2+1)
I mean, yes, its true, there is no axiom which makes one or the other correct. And if we wanted to write unprecise like this we have "conventions". But still this undersold math a bit like "aaah yes this is hard" rather that "thats incorrect usage of math"
I asked the same question to my professor. His answer was fairly simple and easy to understand. He said we never use ÷ sign for division in higher mathematics as it leads to a lot of confusion in complex calculations. Instead use / and you won't have any confusions against these type of problems.
Writing 6/2(1+2) is just as ambiguous.
Never write multiplication by juxtaposition after division on one line.
Modern international standards like ISO-80000-1 mentions about writing division on one line with multiplication or division directly after and that brackets are required to remove ambiguity.
Follow that and there is no ambiguity.
(6/2)(1+2) for 9
6/(2(1+2)) for 1
@@GanonTEK No it's not it's tough to put long / here. What I mean was try putting 6 as numerator and 2(1+2) in denominator. Now whatever way you solve it you'll get the right answer.
@@ScoRPy22 Ah, yes, using a viniculum, a horizontal fraction bar, does remove ambiguity. For example:
6
---
2(1+2)
/ is not a representation of the horizontal fraction bar though.
The horizontal fraction bar implies grouping. / does not.
/ is the unicode Solidus but isn't the real Solidus.
½ is the real Solidus which shows a clear two line fraction but on one line by using a steeper line and sub and super script.
1/2 is not as clear cut as the numbers are not offset so you get issues with 1/2(3).
½(3) is clear but 1/2(3) is not.
Bruh it’s 12!
Bro he didn't answer the question
So many people wonder what the right answer is that they forget to wonder if the question is right.
100%
That's true for a lot of intentionally open-ended engineering/physics questions, but in this case, it's just a matter of remembering all the order of operations that we learned in grade school. In higher level math, we usually don't see things written this way because even though it's technically right, it's confusing, and some people can get the wrong answer (as made evident by this whole mess). This wasn't a trick question. It was a tricky one maybe. The answer is 9 btw.
@@samshim3149 the writing is wrong. Without any context, this can be anything. Some calculators even said it 1. A fricking calculator!
If this was a paragraph question, no doubt the answer will be wrong
@@youravghuman5231 Again, I'd have to disagree. I'd argue that the question isn't wrong. Poorly written maybe, but that was intentionally done to cause confusion. The only part that people are confused about is the implied multiplication. I guess some people were taught that if you see number touching parentheses, you need multiply it immediately, no questions asked to get rid of the parentheses. Back when they taught me math, they also taught us that you can only do that if it doesn't affect the rest of the expression. Maybe I only know this stuff because I used to get points taken off when I showed my work like that back then, but this is how I do math in engineering today, and it works great. If you wanna read my full explanation, I left a comment.
TL;DR is the question is only "wrong" if they meant to say 6/(2(1+2)), but since they didn't say that, you gotta assume they're trying to trick you, so you should read it literally and solve it literally, without making assumptions as to what it may have meant. Just curious... What kind of context were you talking about? Just like extra brackets or something? Because my first thought was the context is it's an internet challenge.
@@samshim3149 im not good at English but it's poorly written. Intentional or not doesn't matter because it's a mistake in the question. Just read other comments they explain about juxtaposition.
What i meant by context is like a question with a given scenario instead of giving an equation like this. That can be more understandable than this equation. If a student writes this equation like this in that question, no doubt he will be marked as wrong.
-What's 6 / 2(1+2)?
-Yes.
If it is written this way, there would be just 1 answer. But sadly the "÷" symbol made it ambiguous.
And as others mentioned which is why "÷" is less used than "/" that clearly defines the numerator and denominator.
Huzzah! Someone finally mentioned that the question is horribly ambiguous! THIS is the correct answer.
Cringe
@@jarredlucas4000ill mannered chap
But it's not ambiguous. Math has clear rules that give you the answer which is nine by the way. This is why Matt has rules to avoid this sort of ambiguity. This is like what middle school math was all about or remedial high school mat.
@@SuperWolfkin math is unambigous if you use the correct notations which this equation doesn't
@@signeCS I'd argue it's not ambiguous as it stands. You don't always need specific notations when it's covered by the conventions of the environment. Like you don't need to indicate which way to read the letters when you write a sentence because in English we have the convention of Left-to-Right. Likewise math has LTR/PEMDAS conventions that take any ambiguity out of this equation.
Part of the ambiguity here is not just from order of operations, but how people visualize ÷ in solving math equations. For instance, if someone were presented with 1÷2, that would be equal to 1/2. So, when one is presented with 6÷2(1+2), this could imply that 6 is the numerator and 2(1+2) is the denominator. In this case, the ambiguity of ÷ allows the solution to this math equation to be "yes".
Division is division. Who tf would interpret it as one big fraction? That's not even a debate. The way you denote division doesn't change its precedence.
@@paulblart7378just because u think it wouldnt be interpreted as a big fraction doesnt mean it would never be interpreted as such.
@@whojoue0000 the point is that it's still wrong. It's not a big fraction, and you can't just choose to interpret is as such, it would be wrong.
@@whojoue0000Very true, and if you use the academic interpretation of multiplication by juxtaposition, which implies grouping, it is a big fraction and commonly interpreted as such, even by many modern scientific calculators
@@paulblart7378literally in any level of math beyond grade 10. Ex. The quotient law of logs
Guy: What's the answer?
Eddie: **yes**
Order of Operations
1. Parentheses (Do first)
2. Exponents
3. M/D - whichever comes first left to right
4. A/S - whichever comes first from left to right
As a 4rth grade Indian student i saw this as an absolute win
Edit: Omg i got famous I wish I have same number of subscribers but it's ok
I love watching cringe indian videos with cringe music, intro and voice
9
What else can it be
Bodmas
I can tell you are in 4th grade
I learned that to answer problems in mathematics, one would need context. Context is key to understanding and solving problems.
We change 6÷2(1+2) to 6/2(1+2) so now you just do the equation in the brackets and then it changes to 6/2 x 3 which is 9. For it to be 1, we need to change the equation to 6/(2(1+2)). When the bottom (i forgot what it's called in math terms) is calculated, it'll be 6/6 which is 1.
Denominator :))
How about 6/2(3)?
Nope.6/2(1+2) is equal to 3*3 which is 9
Now why is like this.
(1+2) is counted first
Then you need to divide 6 by 2
And lastly multiply quotient with result of sum 2 numbers which was placed inside of the bracket.
@Zenix. Wrong way round. 6/2(1+2) = 6 over 2(1+2) = 6/2(3) = 6/6 = 1.
For it to be 9 we need to change the _expression_ to (6/2)(1+2).
Facts
That's one example of the many others that show why mathematicians basically never use ÷ symbol, it's way less ambiguous to use the fraction
I'm confused cause I thought there was a math "law" that you have to solve was inside (the parentheses) first. 🤷♀️
There is. Order of operations. The answer is 9. There is no ambiguity
@@seanspreckelsen3496 In math there's an order to solve operations. Copy this from a webpage. "First, we solve any operation inside of parentheses or brackets. Second, we solve any exponents. Third, we solve all multiplication and division from left to right. Fourth, we solve all addition and subtraction from left to right."
@@seanspreckelsen3496 If you follow the order is 1, but the calculator answer is 9. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
@@Dragonflies82 that's not correct, you're misusing order of operations. PEMDAS is the acronym, but the order should be P>E>MD>AS, it is NOT P>E>M>D>A>S. You multiply AND divide in the order the problem is written (left to right, top to bottom) then you add AND subtract in the same order.
6÷2(1+2)=x
First the function inside the parentheses.
6÷2×3=x
Then, being no exponents, you multiply and divide in order from left to right. The left most function is division so in this case you divide BEFORE you multiply.
3×3=x
Then multiply SECOND.
x=9
The problem isn't designed to be ambiguous, it's designed to point out a common misunderstanding of order of operations.
@@Dragonflies82 order says parantheses first, so you get 6:2(1+2)=6:2(3) which is 6:2*3. Now you need to follow the order from left to right. Youll get 9
The "man with a telescope" was such a brilliant comparison. I never thought of it that way
well we can write it as 6/2(1+3) which gives us 1 and also if we follow the rules of bodmas we get 1 basically 2(1+2) is a singular term, u cannot break them by 1st dividing by 2 and multiplying by (1+2)
6/2(1➕️3)🟰❌️
6➗️2(1➕️3)🟰✅️
6/2×(1+9)=9 tho
Legend has it, the question is yet remains unanswered
Eddie DESTROYS misleading math questions with A TELESCOPE.
This will help you in your confusion
ua-cam.com/video/_HtJTPelgDo/v-deo.html
Underrated comment
he fye 🔥
9
@@_Nilu__ There is no multiplication in the question. It's juxtaposition. It functions the same as multiplication but it's undefined whether it has different priority or not.
The thing is. In a lot of higher math, especially calculus and other advanced subjects. Implicit multiplications have a higher precedence then all other operations. For example the expression ax/by is parsed as the following in high schools
(Sorry for using LaTeX notation here)
a \frac{x}/{b} y
But in calculus. The differential equation ax/by=0 is parsed as
\frac{ax}{by}=0.
Like, it makes no sense to express it this way otherwise. If you really want the previous grouping, usually we follow the convention of putting variables last. So axy/b=0. Or \frac{a}{b} xy
No one writes like that.
Multiplication and Division are the opposite of each other (inverse operations). That means they both share the same spot on the operations order. If it so, the rule from LEFT to RIGHT kicks in.
6÷2(1+2)=9 You added an extra set of parentheses that aren't there. Multiplication and division are interchangable in the order, they apply in order that they appear from left to right.
That's true, for explicit multiplication and division.
The issue is, academically, implicit multiplication has higher priority.
Like how a/bc means a/(b*c) not (a/b)*c.
That's why it's ambiguous notation.
Even scientific calculators widely disagree. Many give 1, many give 9.
@@GanonTEK
I don't like to use this “÷”. I'm a fan of the fraction line. Because this entire term 6÷2(1+2) says to my "six half times three".
@@tom091178 Yeah, two line fractions are best practice. It's what I would use
well if you answer the question using PEMDAS you would add the parenthesis, get 3, they multiply before dividing, and get 6 and then divide 6 by 6 and get one.
This is why we do fractions for complex equations with division. Honestly, I’m not sure the last time I saw the division symbol in a formal equation for that exact reason. Also! When in doubt, use more parentheses 6/[2(1+3)] or (6/2)(1+3) are both valid. Also, I’d like to note that PEMDAS isn’t entirely accurate. It’s more PE M/D A/S since multiplication and division are the same thing, as are addition and subtraction. (Since 2*2 is the same as 2/(1/2) and 2+2 is the same as 2 - -2, we can say they are just different ways of writing the same concept).
Parentheses come first.
@@slamkam07 uh... Y...yeah? You're absolutely correct, but I just don't see how it connects to what I said
I know it as BODMAS
Brakette
Off
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Substraction🎉
I don't get it, i can just add parentheses in the equation if i want?
@@Luizedu If it follows the initial order, yes, it can help avoid confusions.
correct. in applied mathematics, a question is generally not written ambiguously like this.
Exactly. So many people are trying to pass themselves off as superior and so smart because they think it's a simple question... all they're doing is showing their failure to understand the topic.
1 is the answer in any case because the 2 and the brackets are considered to be one number meaning that it is asking what is 6 ÷ 6. Bedmas or bemdas or whatever you used in school is just a rule to help people have the same understanding and perspective of the same question.
That's the issue, not everyone believes, or was taught, that multiplication by juxtaposition with parentheses is treated the same as other forms of multiplication by juxtaposition.
Those who do, get 1.
Those who don't, get 9.
You can see it with scientific calculators even. A large proportion give 1 and a large proportion give 9.
No consensus, or landslide majority either way.
Hence, the confusion and neither side will win.
We have to follow modern international standards like ISO-80000-1 and write properly and unambiguously. There can be no ambiguity or argument then.
(6/2)(1+2)? No problem
6/(2(1+2))? No problem
Two line fractions? Best practice. Fewer brackets required and looks far, far better.
Americans = this is out of syllabus
Indians = 🗿 यह बहुत आसान है 🍰
Since when do they teach the material in the syllabus?
THANK YOU!
I've thought for some time that the whole question is meaningless, because if the point was to get the right answer, or even to *have* a right answer, greater clarity is needed.
Also, been watching your videos off and on for awhile. I was a maths major, and I've done some tutoring here and there, so I can really appreciate both the depth of understanding and the enthusiasm you bring to the classroom.
But what determines which way to get the result?
@@Rami-bi9xjAsk whoever wrote the question to rewrite it as a fraction instead, or if that's not available just give up
It’s not confusing, it’s not a special math problem, the answer is 9 and only 9.
It’s a straight forward term divided by a term.
The term 6 divided by the term 2(1+2) gives the answer of 1
2(1+2) is one term containing 2 factors. The 2 and the (1+2). Factors multiplied, are a single term.
@@yourmommydotcommy2650go back to school bro
Use fractions, they're never ambiguous.
Exactly
people who studied chapter arithematic equations from ncert of class 10 can easily solve this within a second. the formula where 'sum of numbers = n/2 ( a + an)'
i went from liking him to hating him within a span of 2 seconds
ok, but why?
Because you are dumb?
answer is obviously 9 @@naemek9675
@@AyubHassan07Bro he just explained why, this symbol ÷ is ambiguios and is replaced by fraction past 7th grade
maybe the problem here is were using the arithmetic division sign, in algebra. So mixing two different types of math is causing something to break. Also, thats kind of fascinating, we mixed two different kinds of math and caused something to break! We have a place in math where there is no right answer! I mean we could define f(x)= 6÷2(x+1) and suddenly, we get a function with...
I dont really know what you mean with two kinds of math, but i would agree in the sense that this is why fractions are superior. These are not so ambiguous. The arithmetic division sign is honestly just an inferior operator sign because you can just get confused with the order of operations rather quickly if you are not used to using this sign. But if you do exactly as the order of operations tells you, you are fine. Math itself is not breaking. It's the misinterpretation that makes it look like there is no right answer. Maybe I misunderstood what you mean by "different types of math"
@@DonPedro69 idk if this is what Talla was talking about, but the way i see it is that that expression mixes two types of notations. it's not exactly a rule, but if you think about it it's more likely to see "÷" and "×"together in one expression, the same way as seeing "/" and " ⋅ " in the same expression. so when you mix the two notations it gets confusing.
so if you write "6÷2×(1+2)" it's clear, as well as writing "6/2(1+2)".
mixing the symbols makes stuff weird
@@andreasibilla7855 maybe it was suppose to mean what you say, however that still makes no a big difference in the way you calculate. To make it clear.
First of all, "÷" is never recommended to be used at all, but if you want to use it you can use it to show ratios between two numbers like 2÷3, even than it is prefered to use 2:3 or 2/3 (it's just a convention). If you have more than just a ratio between two numbers you should always use horizontal fraction bars like for example (5×6+2)/(5×3) (i cant write actual horizontal fraction bars but just imagine it) but also for algebra you should always use fraction bars. They are just much easier to understand and they also get rid of some parenthesis which makes it easier to calculate correctly. × and • have the same meaning tho and make no difference
@@DonPedro69 the fun thing is that I believe this is mostly a mathematical debate because of the internet. I believe I watched a video once that explained that up ti a certain year people would prioritise the order from left to right, over the order of either ÷ or × having priority. This is a debate mostly because different generations and different countries get to look at this through the internet, and we can see that it really depends on how the rules of that country are, because in my case, if this was about a fraction, the second part would ned to be in brackets too. It is how I learned it, otherwise we just go from left to right. It's not that the math of me and other people is different, it's rhe way we have been taught to communicate it.
@@corneliahanimann2173 yeah that's the main issue i think, you are right it really comes down to how you learn it at school ig, but at a certain level like university things become more unified...atleast to my knowledge
Thank you, Eddie Woo! This is what I tried to explain to my Father AND my Son who both came up with different answers and both insisted they were right. It is not necessary to be this ambiguous. It's easy to be much clearer in your intentions in mathematics!
Well tell whoever said 9 they are correct, and the other to go back to elementary school and learn order of operations
@@grapeman8612 order of operations is irrelevant. Multiplication and division have the same priority as they are the same operation (division is multiplication by the reciprocal). The only issue is that the problem is intentionally written poorly to cause arguments and generate engagement. Source: I have a math degree.
@@SappinYourSentries order of operations also state you go left to right, and this problem is incredibly simple when you follow that. Also there is no reason to do 2*3 first because then the actual problem is 6/2/3 and that is not what this problem is. There is no parenthesis around 2*3 so you don’t do it first
Also I know you’re not arguing but it isn’t really written that poorly
Source: I have a brain and am not 1 year old
@@grapeman8612
Number 1 is correct because of three reasons:
1)
1. 6/2(1+2)
2. 6/2(3)
3. 6/2(3) ≠ 6/2×3, so you solve 2(3) first
4. 6/6
5. =1
2)
So you know in algebra if an equation is something like
2×(2a+2b), you multiply the two with both factors in he brackets, making it 4a+4b
Well, the same thing happens 6/2(1+2)
1. 6/2(1+2)
2. 6/(2+4)
3. 6/6
4. =1
3)
/ is just the same as ÷, which means there is a fraction
So that would mean that 6 is the dominator and 2(1+2) the nominator
1.
6
---
2(1+2)
2.
(Solve 2(1+2) which way you like)
6
---
6
3.
=1
UNLESS
You interpret the 6 as the dominator and 2 as the nominator, which would then mean they both get multipled by (1+2).
1.
6
-- × (1+2)
2
2.
3 × (1+2)
3.
=9
If that's how you solved the equation then that's fair. Anyways the answer is 1 and even any calculator says that
And I realized I put way too much effort into my reply
@@hanmira you didn’t put too much effort in, it’s all fine lol, but anyways here’s why your wrong
1. Even if it is 6/2(3), it’s still be nine because you have to go left to right. (Parentheses rule does not matter because the 2 is not inside parentheses.)
2. Again you are ABLE to distribute, but distributing at that time would be going out of order.
3. And if you wrote it like an equation you would move the 2 to the denominator and the 6 and (1+2) (or 3) to the numerator. Still being 9 (18/2)
I’ve done some more research since I’m confused as to how anybody gets this wrong, and apparently there is historical reasons.
In the past the % (division symbol) would be differing from / (other division symbol)
So a problem like this
8%2Y, would turn into 8/(2Y).
That symbol used to mean “divide everything that comes after” but it doesn’t anymore” so now % and / mean the same thing, and there is no version where this equals 1, unless you’re living in the early 1900s
Also I realize that is a percent symbol but I couldn’t for the life of me find a division one like the one in the vid
The order of operations is PEMDAS .
1- parentheses
2- exponents
3- multiplication (from left to right )
4- division (from left to right )
5- addition (from left to right )
6- subtraction (from left to right )
So 6/2 (1+2 ) =9
First ( parentheses) so 1+ 2 = 3
Second ( multiplication and division from left to right) so
6/2 = 3
3 x 3 = 9
There is only one correct answer .
Of course we can either start with multiplication or division based on which comes first .
GEMA or GEMS is preferred over PEMDAS/BODMAS. Look it up. It could help you see why people get 1 as an answer.
There is no multiplication in the question. It's juxtaposition. It functions the same as multiplication but it's undefined whether it has different priority or not.
and in general it is strange that there is not just 3, but 1+2, because the brackets have no influence on the divided symbol. Also, I would interpret the fraction "/". That would be the most logical thing if you had to work with this symbol. Therefore the answer would be “9”. I really wonder why something like this goes viral.
It goes viral as the notation is ambiguous.
Academically, multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping.
So 6/2(1+2) means 6/(2×(1+2)), which is 1
Literally/programming-wise, multiplication by juxtaposition implies only multiplication so
6/2(1+2) means 6/2×(1+2) which is 9.
It's just bad writing.
Modern international standards like ISO-80000-1 mentions about writing division on one line with multiplication or division directly after and that brackets are required to remove ambiguity.
@@GanonTEK Yes you are right. What I mean is that it just depends on how you define the fraction. And if you had to work with it in mathematics (luckily not) then the answer would be 9, since you would write parentheses when dividing by the entire expression. In all programming languages and programs that I know and that are used, such as matlab, python or LaTeX, calculations are done this way. But as with many parts of mathematics, as I said, it is a matter of definition and there are many other examples that present the same "problem". So I still find it strange that something like this goes viral.
Moral of the story: Stop using the obelus and just write it in fractional form.
100%
I would agree with you, but you can just use order of operations to solve and get 9. (1 + 2)=3, 6 divided by 2 = 3. Both threes are next to each other so you multiply them (3x3) to get 9
It’s already in fractional form.
6 divided by 2(1+2)
Answer is 1
6/2 cannot be the factor of the parentheses as factors must be whole numbers. Not fractions. And the term 6 is separated from the factor 2 by explicit division. So the factor 2 being juxtaposed with the parenthetical expression containing the factors 1 and 2, having a higher priority over explicit division and multiplication, must be simplified first.
just follow bedmas
6/2(1+2)
brackets first (1+2) = 3
since you only have division and multiplication now go from left to right.
6/2 = 3
3x3 = 9
6/2(1+2) = 9
exactly. this problem is designed to be ambiguous. there is no correct answer because there is no way to know if the (1+2) is in the numerator or the denominator
the "i saw a man with a telescope" analogy is what i'll now tell everyone who is confused about this
there is another, however. "the mother beat her daughter because she was drunk. it is not possible to tell if it was the mother or the daughter who is drunk. same thing with this problem, and that's why we have two answers
the biggest misunderstanding here is PEMDAS, most people think that "oh if m is first then you multiply first" and that is wrong. The MD is left to right and so is subtraction and addition, for example if your were to do 3-2+1, it would be 2 because it was solved by left to right, but if you were to do 2+1-3 it would be 0. SO the answer should be 9
No, it's because in some schools, students are taught that implicit multiplication (multiplication without a symbol) takes priority over division or other multiplication. The point is that there is NO universal standard like this. PEMDAS is taught to students to help them understand algebraic expressions like 4x^2, it is not used for things like this beyond grade school math, because, well, you'd just never run into an expression like this beyond grade school math. The bottom line is that the expression is ambiguous, and was designed deliberately to be ambiguous, so that people would stubbornly argue and generate engagement on twitter or whatever platform it gets posted on.
"The great thing about maths is that there's always straight foward right or wrong answer"
-parents to me in 8th grade
LIIIEEES! I heard the same all the time.
I mean to be fair it is very often the case
There’s a right answer: 9.
@@DonPedro69 Yeah, but as any mathematician will be quick to point out:" Well, it's not ALWAYS though, is it?!" x'D
@Monkey Business good point...I say it the way I say because I'm really not sure xD
When I was in school, my math teacher taught us that action within a brackets goes first and then all of the rest goes from left to right
So, 6÷2(2+1) becomes (2+1) = 3, then 6÷2 = 3 and 3×3 as a result of previous actions
No, no.......so 6/2 = 3 is just wrong. Where does the = come from? Sure, 2+1 = 3, but you don't put a = into the calculation. The way you wrote it, it would be 3=3 which doesn't make that much sense in that context. Even though you got the right answer. First, you solve the stuff inside the brackets, then you do the "point before line calculation" don't know if it is called that in English, what I mean is, you calculate multiplication and division before + and -.
6/2(2+1) ---> 6/2(3) ----> 3*3 = 9
but wut if u live in An Asian country where they write right to left?
@@jujucasar2003 it doesnt matter. just use bodmas
@@jujucasar2003 Math, is a language, if they speak their own language, they can write their own direction, but like english, math is ALWAYS written from left to right.
ayo bro , here the question is not about using BODMAS, it is about whether the (2+1) is in numerator (answer = 9) or denominator (answer =1)
2(1 + 2) is a group, and is operated on as a group, just as 212, 2π, 2θ, 2(π), and 2(θ) are.
Nah
According to BODMAS rule, the brackets have to be solved first followed by powers or roots (i.e. of), then Division, Multiplication, Addition, and at the end Subtraction.
edit: GUYS BODMAS PEDMAS ASS-MAS ITS ALL THE SAME THING. You may abide by one or the other. Math doesn't change from country to country bruh y'all 💀
The problem here is the implicit multiplication (or juxtaposition) which makes it all ambigous and since implicit multiplication can only be used when it's not ambigous the whole expression is invalid.
BODMAS is just a mnemonic device. Multiplication and division are literally the same operation. Regardless, this moronic expression is ambiguously written. You never see this is in grown up math because no one writes anything ambiguously.
@@derblaue well maths has a serious problem if its being ambiguous rather than concrete
@@kryptoncrescent that happens when people dont want to follow proper writing. If it was written properly it would either be 6/2*(1+2)
Or 6/(2*(1+2)) in this case you dont need the *
I think the biggest problem is that people dont even know how PEMDAS and simmilar stuff works. They think since addition is before subtraction it makes it a higher priority, luckly in my country we dont have such acronyms and we are just thought as it is.
@@kryptoncrescent Math doesn't have a problem, people who don't know how to write math do. There is a difference. This is a poorly written problem plain and simple. The fact that it is poorly written does not affect math itself only this problem and those who read it.
I'm from Brazil so I don't know if the math there is different, but in my country when there's division and multiplication because both have the same priority, it goes in order from left to right
Não exatamente exemplo:
2 : 3x. (X=2)
O resultado é 2/6 ou 1/3.
Mas se vc fizesse na ordem que aparece estaria errado:
2:3.2
4/3
Ou seja em alguns casos como 2x vc deve fazer multiplicação na direita e depois resolver a conta.
order should go like this:
( )
x^y √
x /
+ -
There's an unestablished rule that might exist called juxtaposition (like a(b)), where it's like multiplication but takes priority above it and division.
But what about the BODMAS (Bracket, Order, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) rule for the sequence of execution in an equation? If we apply it, then the answer will be 9 without any confusion. I think the confusion arises because division and multiplication have the same priority, but there is another criterion: the left-to-right approach, meaning solving from left to right. This approach leads to the answer being 9 without ambiguity.
The order of operations doesn't interpret implicit notation and that's where the ambiguity occurs.
@@GanonTEK idk what your school taught, but my entire k-12, and even into College math courses, ALL flat out stated it's PEMDAS, sometimes written as PE(MD)(AS), Multiply/ Divide and Add/Subtract IN THE ORDER they appear.
There is no ambiguity about it. The answer is 9.
@@Th1sUsernameIsNotTaken You've missed the point. The implicit notation is ambiguous here since there are two common interpretations in use.
Academically, multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping so
6/2(1+2) means 6/(2×(1+2)) written explicitly, which is 1.
Literally/programming-wise, multiplication by juxtaposition implies only multiplication so
6/2(1+2) means 6/2×(1+2) which is 9.
Nothing to do with the order of operations at all since the same order of operations gives 1 and 9 once the notation is written explicitly.
Proper notation writing is the solution here.
(6/2)(1+2) if you mean 9
6/(2(1+2)) if you mean 1
No ambiguity then.
@@GanonTEK It isn't ambiguous. You literally added parenthesis to the question when it wasn't what was given to you. You're FORCING ambiguity.
And no, programming wise, if we're talking "best" practices, would be more along the line of
(6/2)*(1+2), or whatever iteration you'd like it to be, to ensure there is NO ROOM for misinterpretation, even if it is obvious to you.
@@Th1sUsernameIsNotTaken They are implied if using the academic interpretation of multiplication by juxtaposition.
Like how Sin2y means Sin(2×y), not
Sin2×y or how
ab/cd usually implies
(a×b)/(c×d), not a×b/c×d.
It's a common convention.
Yes, explicit operators are pretty much essential for programming.
firstly
if there are() marks those are to be calculated first then everything else so it becomes
and starbald3895 said
1. Brackets
2. Exponents
3. Multiplication and divisions (left to right)
4. Additions and substractions (left to right)
which is right
so by this logic
6÷2(1+2)
=6÷2x3
=3x3
=9
CASE CLOSED
There is no multiplication in the question. It's juxtaposition. It functions the same as multiplication but it's undefined whether it has different priority or not.
@@placeholderfornow4766you are an idiot or just bad joking?
@@unbreakablebedrock2313They are correct.
There is no juxtaposition in the regular order of operations since it is a notation convention.
There are variants that include it like PEJMDAS and around half of scientific calculators effectively use that concept (you can see it in their manuals).
Implicit notation needs to be interpreted before you use any rules unless you use a variant that includes it.
The answer is 9 because regardless if the multiplication precedes division in the order of operation-it is a rule that you solve from left to right, but ofc work on the parenthesis first and then the multiplication and division (in any order from left to right), then addition and subtraction (in any order from left to right) so:
6÷2(1+2)
6÷2(3)
3(3)
=9
The order of operations doesn't prove one answer over the other, unfortunately.
It can't, because it's the *notation* that is ambiguous.
If you interpret the implict multiplication literally, you convert
6÷2(1+2) to 6÷2×(1+2) which is 9.
If you interpret the implict multiplication academically, you convert:
6÷2(1+2) to 6÷(2×(1+2)) which is 1.
That's where the ambiguity is.
There is no agreed upon convention on whether multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping or not.
Both are widely used and nothing to do with the order of operations used at all.
It's also why anyone using the order of operations to prove one answer over the other is just making a circular argument and proving nothing.
All they are doing is assuming a notation interpretation and saying the one they picked is the right one, when it's not the only right one.
Mr. Woo is correct and multiple institutions and professors agree.
@@GanonTEK bruh you finished wrong school obviously
@@unbreakablebedrock2313 Since what I say is in agreement with what many mathematics professors are saying, it looks like I'm not the one from the wrong school.
Try providing evidence instead of opinions and you might be able to increase your knowledge on the subject.
I looked in the telescope and saw 1. 😂
Well the little man only had one telescope, last time I saw him through my telescope
Priority of solving: parenthesis and DMAS rule... So simple
The answer has only one principle which determines whether it's 1 or 9
its whether parenthical co-efficients are implicit or explicit to multiply
if u think its implicit, the answer is 1
if u think its explicit, the answer is 9
Simple.
Traditional maths has the implicit notation so 1, computer arithmetic/logic maths has explicit notation so 9. The only relevant controversy is which one is to be used.
There is no debating elsewise, some idiots are saying "BODMAS" or "PEDMAS" when they are all the same.
TEACHER: THE ANSWER CAN BE BOTH 1 AND 9
BODMAS:ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
Bro i was searching for this 😂 it's disappointing to see that we have forgotten the basic fundamental rules of mathematics
Thank you!!!!!
Simple and straight forward
Use BODMAS
Well there is a piece missing on this, because there is also an agreement that if two mathematical operations have the same priority, you have to solve the exercise from left to right, which is the case in this exercise after you solve the parentheses: 6 ÷ 2 * 3
@@jethropumbwe4515 The thing is that school level maths don't show the more detailed problems that arise from careless use of juxtaposition (multiplication by just writing two things next to each orher: a*b = ab).
BODMAS is just a mnemonic device to help children memorize. There are only TWO binary operations in the ring of real numbers, NOT four _(all other operations are built off of those, for example, a^2 is just a times a; the square root of a is just the inverse of a^2; a^3 is just a times a times a; a^b is just a multiplied b times; a! is just a times (a - 1) times (a - 2) ... times 1. etc)._ Those TWO binary operations are addition and multiplication. Division is simply a type of multiplication. Specifically, division such as a/c is just a times b where b = c^(-1). In other words, division is just multiplication by the multiplicative inverse. The only note of caution here is that the additive identity does not have a multiplicative inverse (that is, you can't divide by 0, because there is no a such that 0 * a = 1).
I think the problem is the way of writing that is it is incomplete.
for example you could write it in two ways 6/(2(1+2)) and (6/2)(1+2) which makes the equation complete as parenthesis are used to assign priority and unlike addition and subtraction when used together multiplication and division are not associative we ought to use parenthesis to convey what answer we want from the solver.
100% agree.
(6/2)(1+2) is the correct interpretation and the ONLY way to read this problem correctly.
There is no ambiguity, just uniformed readers
@@MrGreensweightHist Well certainly there is some ambiguity as people are confused about the order for solving.
Guys, pemdas. 6:2(1+2) you would do parentheses first, so now it’s 6:2*3 and then multiply and divide are basicicly equal so you left to right so then it’s 3*3 which is nine. Just use pemdas
The issue is with the implicit notation.
Academically, multiplication by juxtaposition implies grouping, so, 6/(2×(1+2)).
Literally/programming-wise, multiplication by juxtaposition implies only multiplication, so 6/2×(1+2).
Only after interpreting the implicit notation can you use PEMDAS, not before, and the ambiguity occurs with the notation.
6÷2(1+2)
Solve brackets
6÷2(3)
6÷2×3
Do division and multiplication from left to right
3×3
9
It depends on which interpretation of multiplication by juxtaposition you follow. That's why it's ambiguous.
BODMAS left the chat after hearing this
BODMAS is an acronym for helping you remember. It's not a rule by any means and isn't thorough at all.
I absolutely agree with the fact that it’s ambiguous. But if there was an order of operations specified such as bodmas, then the answer would be clear. But all things aside I think Eddie did a good job acknowledging why the answer isn’t clear and didn’t feel the need to over complicate things by mentioning different orders of operations and what answers they would give you.
Funnily enough, there is a version of PEMDAS that does take multiplication by juxtaposition into account called PEJMDAS.
Where J is for juxtaposition. It's above regular multiplication or division.
Maybe BOJDMAS is the BODMAS variant? Hard to say it though!
I agree with your comment completely.
@@GanonTEK That's cool! I have never heard of variants with a J in them!
Thanks for being so cool!
@@jacckkaboii3528 Thank you for being so kind!
@@GanonTEK I never called it multiplication by juxtaposition but I always used it and thought it was part of the P or B in both version like, 2(5 + x), I always thought regardless of whatever is done to the 2, it will first become 10 + 2x first before anything else is done to it. So this 6/2(2+1) has always been 6 all divided by 2 into 2+1. It's the same as 5 x 8^2, because there is no bracket covering the 5 x 8 part of the equation, I would think that the thing being squared is the 8 and not 5 x 8.
@@tjossai9302 For the last example, exponents have higher priority than addition so that's why it's only the 8 being squared.
Outside brackets are not part of the B/P step, only inside parentheses are.
It's a notation convention, though, that puts implied brackets around expressions like that, so it's a perfectly valid interpretation but it's not the only one in use.
That's the problem.
It should be written properly as
(6/2)(1+2) or
6/(2(1+2)) to remove all ambiguity.
I mean if it was written like this: 6/(2(1+2)) then I would agree that the denominator is is the whole 2(1+2) but since it was written as it is then I would argue the queue of actions is: 1. The action in the brackets 1+2. Then the whole thing is equal to 6/2*3. 2. Since we have division and multiplication that are of equal weight we do things from left to right and by that we get 6/2=3 => 3*3=9. But as I saw in some other comments and what Eddie said it's a bit ambiguos and could be written more clearly. My main point is we should not necessarily assume that the whole thing after the division sign is the denominator because the rules does not explicitly say that. Though you could argue that it is not written as (6/2)*3. Therefore, it's ambiguos
The problem with his answer is that order of operations says that if there is a bracket you solve it first:
1. 6/2(3)
2. 6/6 as you still have solved the bracket so u must do 2x3
3. 6/6 = 1
the ans would be 9 according to BODMAS and that is actual correct one
It’s not quite like the “I saw a man with a telescope” example; it’s more like a sentence that starts in one language, ends in a different language, and has an ambiguity as to the point of the switch to the other language.
For example, if you have a sentence that starts out in English with the words “I get paid”, ends with the Spanish words “a la semana” (per week) but has the word “once” in the middle.
I get paid once a la semana.
If we interpret “once” as English, it means I get paid once a week. If we interpret it as Spanish, it means I get paid 11 per week.
It’s a trick sentence, a practical joke. This numerical expression starts out using one language (elementary school arithmetic symbols), ends using a different language (more conventional mathematical notation), and there’s ambiguity about where to switch gears. The numeral 2 following the division symbol is like that word “once” in the sentence-we don’t know what language it’s in, so we don’t know how to proceed.
In other words, I would argue that the expression as written does NOT have two solutions, but rather has no solutions. Its purpose is to create confusion, ambiguity, and disagreement-the polar opposite of what mathematical expressions do. It’s not a mathematical expression, it’s a practical joke.
Very smart very clear, math isnt ambiguous, its clear, its truth
Algebra has a very specific grammar, which is designed to be unambiguous. That is to say, there is a clear answer: 9.
Algebra is not like natural language
@@Supreme_Lobster point me to this problem in the algebra text book