Brace yourselves for this math problem on Facebook

[sandyxb]

some people will read 10^2 instead of 6^2 for the first term

 

[mosquito]

The answer is 42.

 

[mlm]

Anyone with a computer background should get 58.

 

[slowblood]

Like English, the problem could be written better.

 

[renxianqiclone]

The answer is 42.

LOL! Hitchhiker's Guide!!!

 

[insyder]

Anyone with a computer background should get 58.

I agree. The correct answer is 58 regardless of background. Its all about doing the

After you've simplified the exponent, you move on to the next tier multiplication and division and work left to right.

36 / 2(3) + 4​

I think its the usage of parenthesis that trips people up. Rewrite this like this and you'll get more people interpreting it properly, but some will still get it wrong because they didn't learn order of operations.

36 / 2 * 3 + 4​

The way its written isn't "wrong" and accomplishes its intent of testing students on the rules of the order of operations.

 

[nbean16]

I love that people are actually writing out the order of operations and then still doing it wrong. Its 58.

 

[stangmx13]

Like English, the problem could be written better.

true. but unlike in language, there is only one meaning/answer. the fact that its written in a confusing way doesnt change the result.

 

[Yakoo752]

true. but unlike in language, there is only one meaning/answer. the fact that its written in a confusing way doesnt change the result.

I saw the man with binoculars

has 2 very different meanings

 

[stangmx13]

I saw the man with binoculars

has 2 very different meanings

does it? i bet someone that knows that stuff would say that the man owns the binoculars because of the lack of a comma. even in language, just because people are confused doesnt always mean the meaning is up for debate.

 

[Yakoo752]

does it? i bet someone that knows that stuff would say that the man owns the binoculars because of the lack of a comma. even in language, just because people are confused doesnt always mean the meaning is up for debate.

no comma is needed - it's an ambiguous statement that held without context has multiple meanings

here is another example

The boy saw the man with the telescope

One meaning of the sentence is “the boy used the telescope to see the man. The first phrase structure tree represents this meaning. The key element is the position of the PP directly under the VP. Although the PP is under VP, it is not a complement because it is not selected by the verb. The verb see selects an NP only. In this sentence, the PP has an adverbial function and modifies the verb. In its other meaning, “the boy saw a man who had a telescope,” the PP with the telescope occurs under the direct object NP, where it modifies the noun man. In its second meaning, the complement of the verb see is the entire NP-the man with the telescope. The PP in the first structure is generated by the rule:

VP→V NP PP

In the second structure the PP is generated by the rule:

NP→Det N PP

Two interpretations are possible because the rules of syntax permit different structures for the same linear order of words (143-4).

 

[stangmx13]

half of that totally went over my head , but i get what u are saying

im so glad none of that applies to math

 

[auntiebling]

if someone could help my uncle jack off a horse i'd appreciate it

 

[Yakoo752]

if someone could help my uncle jack off a horse i'd appreciate it

Depends on how tall he is, my elbow is a little sore.

 

[KWeezyXB12]

 

[Squidly McSmearstain]

I learnt it as BODMAS (Brackets, Order, Division, Multiplication, Add, Subtract)

With PEMDAS = 10

With BODMAS = 58

This is the definitive answer.....

It's not either 58 or 10. It's both 58 and 10 because the expression is poorly constructed.

I don't know if the original post on FB was meant to be clever, but it's not.

 

[Squidly McSmearstain]

The way its written isn't "wrong" and accomplishes its intent of testing students on the rules of the order of operations.

I disagree. The way it is written is intentionally ambiguous. Creating a mathematical expression (especially one that consists of nothing but simple arithmetic) that is unclear is written "wrong". IF the intent of this expression was to test on order of operations, it's still poorly constructed and ambiguous.

I also disagree that there is a definitive answer given the way the expression is constructed.

 

[CocoLoco]

if someone could help my uncle jack off a horse i'd appreciate it

"I see," said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw.

 

[Bronto]

Its a sloppy write out. For a kid were everything after the division symbol is the denominator. 6^2 / 2*3+4 = 36 / 6+4 = 36/10 = 3.6
For people who deal with more complex formulas its a sloppy wright out. To conform with basic interpretation it would look different 6^2 / 2*3 + 4 = 6^2/(2(3) + 4) = 3.6
But it doesn't so complex method denominator looks to be 2*3
6^2 / 2*3 + 4 = 36 / 6 + 4 = 6 + 4 = 10

 

[stangmx13]

I disagree. The way it is written is intentionally ambiguous. Creating a mathematical expression (especially one that consists of nothing but simple arithmetic) that is unclear is written "wrong". IF the intent of this expression was to test on order of operations, it's still poorly constructed and ambiguous.

I also disagree that there is a definitive answer given the way the expression is constructed.

the expression is only unclear to some because they dont actually understand the meaning of () or correct order of operations. a lack of understanding doesnt make the expression itself ambiguous.