196

16555 readers

1874 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

421

submitted 11 months ago by Toes@ani.social to c/196@lemmy.blahaj.zone

575 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] derphurr@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (2 children)

No there is no clear right answer because it is ambiguous. You would never seen it written that way.

Does it mean A÷[(B)(C)] or A÷B*C

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It means

A ÷ B(C) which is equivalent to A ÷ (B*C)

I literally just explained this. The Parenthesis takes priority over multiplication and division outright.

Maybe
B*C = B(C)
But
A ÷ B(C) =! A ÷ B * C

[–] derphurr@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

No. It's ambiguous. In a math book or written by anyone that actually uses math, you don't have a "%"

You group stuff below the line, and you use parens and brackets to group things like (a + b) and (x)(y) so that it is not ambiguous.

2/xy would be almost always interpreted differently than 2/x(x+y) which is ambiguous and could mean (2/x)(x+y) or 2/[(x)(x+y)]

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 2 points 11 months ago

You continue to say it's ambiguous, but the most commonly used convention on earth very clearly prioritizes parenthesis. It is not ambiguous.