Quote:
Originally Posted by winders
Again, the American Mathematical Society (AMS) says "...multiplication indicated by juxtaposition is carried out before division." Conventions are not laws. They are rules that make reading equations more universal. But conventions are not perfect nor are the always consistent with one another.
So, depending on whose convention(s) you are following, equations like "48÷2(9+3)" can have differing results. That's why this is an ambiguous equation and should be written with more clarity.
Scott
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please cite the reference
I agree that it should and could be written more clearly, nevertheless w/o implementing any new rules or exceptions you get consistent results by following the basic order of operation rules
many entities make their own definition of how to handle these issues based on their idiosyncratic needs, which may or may not be based on the math, but rather on their convenience.
If you try to evaluate the expressions 6 / 2 (1 + 2) and 48 / 2 (9 + 3) using computer systems like the Google search engine, the answer engine Wolfram Alpha (which even changed the rule earlier in 2013 so that implicit and explicit multiplication have the same order ), the Microsoft spreadsheet excel, the answer would all be the same: 9 for 6 / 2 (1 + 2) and 288 for 48 / 2 (9 + 3)