You can’t have two different answers to math problem.”Īccording to Plus Magazine, the complicated workings that underlie these seemingly simple equations is what makes them so enduringly interesting and satisfying to solve. “You might have been taught different initials to remember what to do,” they continued. “Order of operations has been around all of that time.” Illustration – Shutterstock | R. “I am 62 years old and taught for 38 years,” another replied, adding a new perspective to the conversation. “We (of a certain age) were not taught BODMAS / BIDMAS / PEMDAS / UDAS / order of operations,” one Facebook user contributed, “we were taught left to right, that is all, giving 0 as answer.” Thanks for the reminder, I guess I just don’t get to use that knowledge much on a daily basis.” “I forgot you do the multiplication and division first. “Well I did it wrong the first time,” another admitted. It’s quite easy I suppose but most people won’t have this sort of sum since school, which could be a long time.” “It is 16,” wrote one person, “you insert brackets around the divisions. Many netizens left comments on Facebook after this puzzle went viral online. In a mathematically ideal world, of course, everyone would be using the order of operations and homogeneity of results would be guaranteed. Illustration – Shutterstock | Alexey GodzenkoĪnyone tackling these math puzzles using mental arithmetic or an “old-school” calculator may end up with a completely different result. However, there is not yet universal consensus on this rule, and some older calculators will not apply the order of operations. Is this the same answer that you arrived at? If so, congratulations! Not everyone is able to solve it.Īccording to Plus Magazine, Google, Wolfram, and many modern-day calculator programs automatically apply the order of operations to any math problem that is typed in. Then we move on to solve addition and subtraction from left to right as follows: There are also no exponents, so we find that the first part to solve is division, which we should solve from left to right, as follows: To begin with, there are no parentheses, but we will use them in order to help illustrate the order in which we solve this problem. So, using PEDMAS, let’s tackle the equation in hand once again. M/D: Next, carry out any multiplications and divisions, working from left to rightĪ/S: Finally, carry out any additions and subtractions, working from left to right Illustration – Shutterstock | Joyseulay P: First, calculate the value of expressions inside parentheses (or brackets) An easy-to-remember acronym, “PEMDAS” (or sometimes “BEDMAS”) is often used to help people remember the order in which to solve problems, and this is what it stands for: The order of operations determines which part of a mathematical equation, with its various components, needs to be solved first. To this end, we the math community has employed a standardized set of rules known as the “order of operations.” Illustration – Shutterstock | Cookie Studio In order that everyone might achieve the same answer when tackling this equation, therefore, it is imperative that everyone uses the same rules. If netizens’ comments are anything to go by, then mathematical methodology may have been taught differently in the 1950s. The correct answer according to numerous others, however, is not 0 but 16. Many people have proceeded to tackle the equation in a seemingly logical order, from left to right, and have come up with the final answer of 0. The equation hails from the 1950s and is baffling many people for a fascinating reason: it appears that over the years, the “rules” for how to solve it have changed.Ĭan you work it out? Give it a try, and once you think you have the right answer, scroll down to see what all the controversy is about and what the correct answer is. A divisive math problem has gone viral because netizens simply cannot agree on the correct answer.
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