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SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 day ago6 + 4 / 2 is 8 instead of 5?
The fundamental property of Maths that you have to solve binary operators before unary operators or you end up with wrong answers.
AbidanYre@lemmy.world 1 day ago
But +, -, *, and / are all binary operators?
As far as I know, the only reason multiplication and division come first is that we’ve all agreed to it. But it can’t be derived in a vacuum as he contends it should be.
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 day ago
No, only multiply and divide are. 2+3 is really +2+3, but we don’t write the first plus usually.
No, they come first because you get wrong answers if you don’t do them first. e.g. 2+3x4=14, not 20. All the rules of Maths exist to make sure you get correct answers. Multiplication is defined as repeated addition - 3x4=3+3+3+3 - hence wrong answers if you do the addition first (just changed the multiplicand, and hence the answer). Ditto for exponents, which are defined as repeated multiplication, a^2=(axa). Order of operations is the process of reducing everything down to adds and subtracts on a number line.
AbidanYre@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
Typical examples of binary operations are the addition ( + {\displaystyle +}) and multiplication ( × {\displaystyle \times }) of numbers and matrices
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 22 hours ago
…says person quoting Wikipedia and NOT a Maths textbook! 😂
Yes it does., need to work on your comprehension…
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You can disagree as much as you want and 3x4 will still be defined as 3+3+3+3. It’s been that way ever since Multiplication was invented.