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@dpnash@c.im

Post #4366669

2026-07-31 00:47 UTC

@SmartmanApps@dotnet.social This particular one’s unambiguous, but there’s at least one of these meme problems that has something annoying like “6➗2x” in it. This is only unambiguous if you insist that this must be read as an *ordered sequence* of operations: “six divided by two, then multiplied by x” And that it must never be interpreted as a *grouped set* of operations, like the very similar-looking 6 — 2x which is unambiguously “six divided by the result of multiplying x by two” (i.e. not the same as the ordered sequence), and also how most of us write division after about 8th grade. This is also why, past a certain point, *nobody writes expressions like these the first way*, outside of silly meme problems. In particular, you almost never want “2x” to accidentally become 2/x or x/2, but that’s what happens in 4th grade order-of-operations meme problems if you’re not careful.

Replies (1)

  • @SmartmanApps@dotnet.social 2026-08-03 09:59

    @dpnash@c.im "something annoying like “6➗️2x” in it" - which is ALSO unambiguous https://dotnet.social/@SmartmanApps/110846452267056791 ab=(axb) BY DEFINITION "*ordered sequence* of operations" - there's only one operator - there IS only one order in which you can do it! "which is unambiguously “six divided by the result of multiplying x by two”" - as is the original expression you wrote "not the same as the ordered sequence" - yes it is "nobody writes expressions like these the first way" - I do, as does everyone else here

    Open ##4366668