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SmartmanApps@programming.dev ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

But +, -, *, and / are all binary operators?

No, only multiply and divide are. 2+3 is really +2+3, but we don’t write the first plus usually.

As far as I know, the only reason multiplication and division come first is that we’ve all agreed to it.

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.

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