https://zeta.one/viral-math/

I wrote a (very long) blog post about those viral math problems and am looking for feedback, especially from people who are not convinced that the problem is ambiguous.

It’s about a 30min read so thank you in advance if you really take the time to read it, but I think it’s worth it if you joined such discussions in the past, but I’m probably biased because I wrote it :)

  • dgmib@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 year ago

    What is your source for the priority of the / operator?

    i.e. why do you say 6 / 2 * 3 is unambiguous?

    Every source I’ve seen states that multiplication and division are equal priority operations. And one should clarify, either with a fraction bar (preferably) or parentheses if the order would make a difference.

    • wischi@programming.devOP
      0·
      1 year ago

      Same priority operations are solved from left to right. There is not a single credible calculator that would evaluate “6 / 2 * 3” to anything else but 9.

      But I challenge you to show me a calculator that says otherwise. In the blog are about 2 or 3 dozend calculators referenced by name all of them say the same thing. Instead of a calculator you can also name a single expert in the field who would say that 6 / 2 * 3 is anything but 9.

      • dgmib@lemmy.world
        0·
        1 year ago

        Will you accept wolfram alpha as credible source?

        https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Solidus.html

        Special care is needed when interpreting the meaning of a solidus in in-line math because of the notational ambiguity in expressions such as a/bc. Whereas in many textbooks, “a/bc” is intended to denote a/(bc), taken literally or evaluated in a symbolic mathematics languages such as the Wolfram Language, it means (a/b)×c. For clarity, parentheses should therefore always be used when delineating compound denominators.

        • Danksy@lemmy.world
          0·
          1 year ago

          The link references “a/bc” not “a/b*c”. The first is ambiguous, the second is not.