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| Post Number: 1
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GORDON 
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,07:50 |
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6/2(1+2) = X
Solve for X.
Because this is a big controversy at the moment.
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| Post Number: 2
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:02 |
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It can't be properly interpreted as written. Â Is that supposed to be:
   6 Â
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2 * (1 + 2)
Or is it
6
-- Â * (1 + 2)
2
As written it could be either one and therefor has no specific answer. Or, if you prefer, has two equally valid answers.
Edited by TPRJones on Mar. 30 2012,08:03
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| Post Number: 3
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:05 |
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And here's another answer:
6 / 2(1+2)
6 / (2+4)
6 / 6
1
I just pulled out of a big ol' flamewar on Fark because 99% of them were saying, "The answer is 9, it couldn't be more clear," and I was saying that the original question was written sloppily, and there is room for interpretation.
- edit - I guess that isn't another answer, I just rewrote yours.
But still. Flamewar over math, on Fark.
Edited by GORDON on Mar. 30 2012,08:08
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| Post Number: 4
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:08 |
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.... but 6 is not a valid answer at all! Â There's no way it can be 6 no matter which way you interpret it. Â It can either be 1 or 9, but not 6.
Fark are stupid.
EDIT: Wait, I could swear you said 6 there. Okay, yeah, 9 is a valid choice. Fark are less stupid, but still a little stupid.
Edited by TPRJones on Mar. 30 2012,08:08
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| Post Number: 5
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:08 |
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I typoed 6, before. I meant 9.
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| Post Number: 6
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:09 |
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I am sad that I am the only one there saying the answer is ambiguous, but I am not surprised, and another part of me is a little happy that I am not yet agreeing with the majority of Farkers.
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| Post Number: 7
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:09 |
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Too many edits!
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| Post Number: 8
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:10 |
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... on the dance floor.
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| Post Number: 9
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:16 |
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If it were written as 6÷2*(1+2) then they would be right. Order of operations would imply that you would interpret it as 9. However the slanted nature of / for the division sign which can imply that everything to the right is a divisor coupled with the lack of specific inclusion of the multiplications sign to provide clearer separation between the 2 and the (1+2) results in it being open to a bit of interpretation.
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| Post Number: 10
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:17 |
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Exactly.
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| Post Number: 11
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| Post Number: 12
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Cakedaddy
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:43 |
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Math fail. Parentheses come first, always.
Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4). The only time you do that type of 'double multiplying' is if there are variables in there 2(a+b) = 2a+2b, so that you can continue to solve for one or more of them. Otherwise, you do the parenthesis first. 2(3)=6. Yes the answer is the same no matter which way you do it, but technically, you did break the order of operations.
It is of my opinion that the question does not have enough information to definitively say if it is 1 or 9.
And I love math. Math is awesome. Math was one of my favorite subjects because it is what it is. There's no room for interpretation. Where history, English, etc was all about convincing someone you knew what you were talking about. So, math is easy and straight forward. I liked science for the same reason.
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,08:48 |
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The problem here is not that the math is vague, but that the way it is written it is not really math problem.
It's like asking someone a history question: "what important event happened on 12175"? Is that 12/1/1975 or 1/21/0075, or what? Until you clarify that date, it's not yet a history question.
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| Post Number: 15
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,09:04 |
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(Cakedaddy @ Mar. 30 2012,11:43)
QUOTE Math fail. Â Parentheses come first, always.
Gordon over thought the problem by multiplying 2x1 then 2x2 to come up with (2+4). Â The only time you do that type of 'double multiplying' is if there are variables in there 2(a+b) = 2a+2b, so that you can continue to solve for one or more of them. Â Otherwise, you do the parenthesis first. Â 2(3)=6. Â Yes the answer is the same no matter which way you do it, but technically, you did break the order of operations.
It is of my opinion that the question does not have enough information to definitively say if it is 1 or 9.
I wasn't overthinking it, I was saying that the problem, as stated, is vague.
Farkers were trying to say that it wasn't vague at all, and was obvious. They are stupid and wrong.
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| Post Number: 16
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| Post Number: 17
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GORDON
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,09:08 |
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BTW, the answer is 12 + 10x + 2x^2.
- edit - Oops, 2x^2.
Edited by GORDON on Mar. 30 2012,09:20
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| Post Number: 18
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,09:47 |
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The answers are -3 and -1. Â And that one's not vague at all.
Edited by TPRJones on Mar. 30 2012,09:47
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| Post Number: 19
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thibodeaux
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Posted on: Mar. 30 2012,10:01 |
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On the original question, I'm inclined to agree with the "it's obviously 9, dummy" party. If you MEAN for your expression to be
6/(2*(1+2))
then write it like that, n00b.
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