Expression syntax that blows up the internet

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Expression syntax that blows up the internet Elegant Yak 06/08/21 (Tue) 01:35:32 No.9382

File: 1623116132460.png (214.81 KB, 697x389, 697:389, Screenshot from 2021-06-07….png) ImgOps Google

Blow up here means capable of generating attention and response. Expressions with such capacity tend to be one-liners with an ambiguous order of operations.

I realize my sense of order of operations is effected by programming, where the expression would be written 8/2*(2+2) and evaluated the same in C++ and Python. But I gather mathematicians are not so precise. What integer do you fill in for the question mark in the image?

Graceful Squirrel 06/08/21 (Tue) 03:15:37 No.9383

>>9382
I do it as (8/2)*(2+2) = 4 * 4 = 16.

Lively Turtle 06/08/21 (Tue) 04:06:37 No.9384

>>9383
Same. As far as I understood, that's the way you do it.

Elegant Yak 06/08/21 (Tue) 05:21:59 No.9385

>>9383
You see implied multiplication and division as having the same precedent, then the order of these being left to right. This is basically how I learned it, if memory serves.

>>9384
>the way you do it
I thought I would have AN answer as well, however it appears implied multiplication may come before explicit multiplication and division in precedence, or at least experts don't all agree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations#Mixed_division_and_multiplication

Joyous Butterfly 06/08/21 (Tue) 12:28:03 No.9386

The answer would be to read from left to right in case of ambiguity, like for computers.

However, a mathematician would simply use fraction notation to avoid the issue.

This isn't some deep paradox, this is just some street magic muckery with confusing notations.

Elegant Yak 06/18/21 (Fri) 01:05:03 No.9396

File: 1623978303238.png (9.82 KB, 621x207, 3:1, eq.png) ImgOps Google

>>9386
You would prefer one of these two, I think.

Joyous Butterfly 06/18/21 (Fri) 07:46:26 No.9397

>>9396
yes
Anything else is just screwing around with notations, rather than presenting a paradox.