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5 + 5 + 5 - 5 + 5 + 5 - 5 + 5 x 0 = ?


  • Total voters
    264
I don't disbelieve anyone about the answer they are arriving at.
And I don't disagree with using PEMDAS exactly.

But I'm a literalist.
IOW's if it ain't there it ain't there. And to me
PEMDAS assumes functions that aren't written; And
likewise I say the function has to be written to be used.

Otherwise every equation is open to interpretation.

It is there. PEMDAS is just the short way to remember it. But every definition has multi/division first then add/sub. Its not an assumption, its how it works.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/operation-order-pemdas.html
 
It is there. PEMDAS is just the short way to remember it. But every definition has multi/division first then add/sub. Its not an assumption, its how it works.

Well it happens that I disagree with the artifice of PEMDAS.

Using a simpler version of the equation would be '5 + 5 x 0 = ?'. Which as is agreed by math types here would answer out to be 5. But I think that rather than simply agree by agreement that Parethesis precedes Multiplication precedes Exponents I believe that the 'P' should be dropped from PEMDAS - and the order of operations should be stated with Parentheses being an absolute value that has to be in an equation if we want to compute an answer in a specific fashion.


And if this thread is any indication I believe I am right from the angle of communicating the logic one wants to communicate with math.
 
Answer's zero. I want the last 15 minutes of my life back.;)
It took u 15 minutes to get the wrong answer?
Well it happens that I disagree with the artifice of PEMDAS.

Using a simpler version of the equation would be '5 + 5 x 0 = ?'. Which as is agreed by math types here would answer out to be 5. But I think that rather than simply agree by agreement that Parethesis precedes Multiplication precedes Exponents I believe that the 'P' should be dropped from PEMDAS - and the order of operations should be stated with Parentheses being an absolute value that has to be in an equation if we want to compute an answer in a specific fashion.


And if this thread is any indication I believe I am right from the angle of communicating the logic one wants to communicate with math.

Well if u want to disagree with how math works, no one can argue with you. Doesnt make u correct, just stubborn, I guess.
 
Well if u want to disagree with how math works, no one can argue with you. Doesnt make u correct, just stubborn, I guess.

Someone has to step up and stop accepting an Arbitrary operational rule...how do you think the operational rule got accepted in the first place?

And it's no big thing for people to accept that parenthesis have to be in place for the operational rule to work - unless they are math types...then they will argue their point of view for hours.<G>
 
Someone has to step up and stop accepting an Arbitrary operational rule...how do you think the operational rule got accepted in the first place?

And it's no big thing for people to accept that parenthesis have to be in place for the operational rule to work - unless they are math types...then they will argue their point of view for hours.<G>

Well we all need a cause I guess.
 
BODMAS

Brackets over Division, Multiplication and Subtraction.

That's what I was taught when I were a lad.
 
Statistically, for every option available, someone in the population will select it. I'm never wrong, so I made sure I was right...Don't think I quite worded that right. And darn that gully!
 
New poll: which witty and original comeback needs to die more:

1. 42 (answering any math question or moral question like what is the meaning of life?)
2. cool story bro (just hit the thumbs down and move on)
3. any kind of face palm picture
4. write in your own here.

42. Don't you diss the ultimate answer! Deep Thought spent 7½ million years to compute that!
 
At least I learned something in school.

My school was different, he learned it by PEDMAS. Parentheses, Exponents, Division, multiplication, Addition, Subtraction
 
New poll: which witty and original comeback needs to die more:

1. 42 (answering any math question or moral question like what is the meaning of life?)
2. cool story bro (just hit the thumbs down and move on)
3. any kind of face palm picture
4. write in your own here.

Your first poll will be approx. 14.999999999999999999

Your second poll: I don't care about option 2). But the "42" will never die ...
 
Someone has to step up and stop accepting an Arbitrary operational rule...how do you think the operational rule got accepted in the first place?

And it's no big thing for people to accept that parenthesis have to be in place for the operational rule to work - unless they are math types...then they will argue their point of view for hours.<G>

At first I thought you were just being sarcastic but now I think you are actually serious?

Imagine... if we all decided to arbitrarily accept some rules of mathematics and not others. I guess we'd be in a bit of a pickle...
 
At first I thought you were just being sarcastic but now I think you are actually serious?

Imagine... if we all decided to arbitrarily accept some rules of mathematics and not others. I guess we'd be in a bit of a pickle...

I am serious. And it's not arbitrary - I would like the idea to change so that the basic operations are definite and written down. I'm not kidding about being a literalist either - IOW's if there should be a parenthesis then it should be there. I see the idea that if a parenthesis is not there you still can
perform the operation as if it was there based on a rule to be arbitrary unto itself.

The idea that you follow PEMDAS excludes people who don't know the operational rule - and adds to the confusion of solving a basic calculation.
As it is there we now have a thread with 300 people posting 5 different answers. if the 'P' of PEMDAS was mandatory to compute a operation the
answer would be simple and a moot point.

As for the rest of the mnemonic device used - it is not arbitrary IMO.
 
I am serious. And it's not arbitrary - I would like the idea to change so that the basic operations are definite and written down. I'm not kidding about being a literalist either - IOW's if there should be a parenthesis then it should be there. I see the idea that if a parenthesis is not there you still can
perform the operation as if it was there based on a rule to be arbitrary unto itself.

The idea that you follow PEMDAS excludes people who don't know the operational rule - and adds to the confusion of solving a basic calculation.
As it is there we now have a thread with 300 people posting 5 different answers. if the 'P' of PEMDAS was mandatory to compute a operation the
answer would be simple and a moot point.

As for the rest of the mnemonic device used - it is not arbitrary IMO.

While your intentions may be good, you are applying additional rules as to parentheses placement. Your logic could ultimately make the above equation:

(5+(5+(5-(5+(5+(5-(5+(5*0))))))))

There are rules. They are clear.
Unfortunately many people are ignorant of the rules. Adding an additional rule will not cure ignorance.
 
If you don't know the rules, you forgot them. They are taught in junior high, or even earlier to everyone. This is a worldwide standard.

I am serious. And it's not arbitrary - I would like the idea to change so that the basic operations are definite and written down. I'm not kidding about being a literalist either - IOW's if there should be a parenthesis then it should be there. I see the idea that if a parenthesis is not there you still can
perform the operation as if it was there based on a rule to be arbitrary unto itself.

The idea that you follow PEMDAS excludes people who don't know the operational rule - and adds to the confusion of solving a basic calculation.
As it is there we now have a thread with 300 people posting 5 different answers. if the 'P' of PEMDAS was mandatory to compute a operation the
answer would be simple and a moot point.

As for the rest of the mnemonic device used - it is not arbitrary IMO.
 
I am serious. And it's not arbitrary - I would like the idea to change so that the basic operations are definite and written down. I'm not kidding about being a literalist either - IOW's if there should be a parenthesis then it should be there. I see the idea that if a parenthesis is not there you still can
perform the operation as if it was there based on a rule to be arbitrary unto itself.

The idea that you follow PEMDAS excludes people who don't know the operational rule - and adds to the confusion of solving a basic calculation.
As it is there we now have a thread with 300 people posting 5 different answers. if the 'P' of PEMDAS was mandatory to compute a operation the
answer would be simple and a moot point.

As for the rest of the mnemonic device used - it is not arbitrary IMO.

i see what you mean and don't necessarily disagree on the principle, but these are universally used conventions, even in countries where it's not spelle out by an acronym.

the easiest way to have unambiguos operations would be to drop every priority and have only two 'rules' do define order of operations: left to right and parenthesis.

so the original
5+5+5-5+5+5-5+5*0
should be written
5+5+5-5+5+5-5+(5*0) to become universally unambiguous.

but if you think about it, that is already what it is, and the parentheses in a sense were there and then became "implied" in multiplication and division to allow for more rapid and clearer notations.
it's the same reason we write 2y instead than 2*y, or 2(x+y) instead of 2*(x+y), or -(x+1) instead of -1*(x+1), because it makes it easier and quicker.

if we where to use parenthesis every time we have a multiplications and divisions, it would become more confusing (and very quickly), not less confusing, because you'd have parentheses everywhere to match up.
 
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