48÷2(9+3) = ?

On second thoughts, '?' could also be 111

:expressionless:

Google says the answer is 288 and we all know that Google is always correct.

http://www.google.com/search?q=48÷2(9%2B3)

@Biocow
EBCDIC

I would like to recall my answer and give the only, true, eternal answer.
The answer ofcourse is: 42!

Now you can all go to rest and relax yourselves, for the mystery has been solved.

The answer ofcourse is: 42!

But 42! is something like 1.4 x 1051

AWOL:

The answer ofcourse is: 42!

But 42! is something like 1.4 x 1051

To find my answer to that, please do the following:

  • pick up your keyboard
  • hold your head steady
  • hold the keyboard steadily and move it rapidly in the direction of your head untill you hear a crack

:smiley:

If 42 (0x2A) is the answer, but 0x2b | ~0x2B is the question, I think there is something very seriously wrong with arithmetic as we know it.

biocow:
I've seen this on 2 different forums and it seems about 50/50 that people get it right. And hilariously the people who don't are adamant they are right. Let's see what happens here.

Please solve: 48÷2(9+3) = ?

Seems about half of people can't remember BEDMAS. I wonder if they're the same half who are sub-average?

Seems about half of people can't remember BEDMAS.

I always get confused by legal/academic jargon - is that before or after Michaelmas term?

Yeah, I would bet that about 50% of the people think the multiplication in 2(9+3) is more strongly grouped together than the division in 48 / 2, in spite of missing parens and a common rule that say to evaluate left to right in the absence of other clues.
Then there are the folks that think multiplys have precedence over division at the same lexical level anyway. (My Dear Aunt Sally!)

Don't put expressions like this in your code. Parenthesis are cheap and useful.

I know for sure it's 2 times half the outcome...

By what I've learned I'd say 288, but presented with such a question in an important Job I'd ask for a better notation.

Anyway, Biocow, are we doing your homework here ? :smiley:

and a common rule that say to evaluate left to right in the absence of other clues.

That is such a left-to-right, Western centric view, isn't it?

Mathematics is supposed to be a universal language, so parentheses really are the only way to truly express this one unambiguously - I'm with westfw on that.

BEDMAS

BIDMAS (Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction)
BODMAS (Brackets, Other, " " " " )
BEDMAS (Brackets, Exponents, " " " " )

Fun fun :smiley:

so parentheses really are the only way to truly express this one unambiguously

+1

BIDMAS (Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction)

The left-to-right mnemonic further reinforces the assumption that division has a higher priority than multiplication.

Parentheses - they're the only way.

Or, write it like BIDMAS

(but with the super/sub superposed, not spaced like that)

Let's settle for the average, 145 8)

What the... if even calculators aren't conclusive in this, it's just a point of bad notation :stuck_out_tongue:

The answer ofcourse is: 42!

Lost on these Philistines........ :wink:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/answer.shtml

Parentheses are messy.

48 2 ÷ 9 3 +

(been a while, I think that'll do it though)