[gr8fl4porsche]

Finally got around to googling this issue. Forums are filled with this question and a 50/50 vote is very popular with some showing 2 as winning.

It all comes down to interpretation of intent. I'm in the construction business and 'intent' joins every argument. While the exact text, drawings, dimensions say x, we intended them to be (x) and a professional reasonable person would have understood our intent - I hear that argument all the time.

Did the author intend 48/24 or 48 / 2 * 12?

The basic rules of order are established to maintain order, but they do not establish intent.

Other rules start to enter when there is a disagreement such as juxtaposition

From Wikidef

def: 1. An absence of operators in an expression.

2. The extra emphasis given to a comparison when the contrasted
objects are close together.

So I would argue that the authors intent (based on juxtaposition) is for the answer to be 2 not 288. If the author intended 288 why did he use the ÷
symbol for divide and a juxtaposition for multiply? He should have written the equation so his intention was clear such as 48/2*(9+3).

If rules are rules everything is black and white.

This thread at least proves that the world is very grey - or is is gray?