-
Actually, on Y!A it is known as PAPEDMAS:
parentheses, ASSUMED PARENTHESES, d, m, a, s
{and do not get me started on IPPAPEDMAS; INVISIBLE PARENTHESES, ---- }
and yes, left to right, "except" - - as per dustin's example
12/4 * 3 aka [(12/4)*3] is the same as [ 3*12/4 ] where you can do the multiplication or division in either order and get answer = 9
to get 1, you "must" [<< refer to PAPEDMAS] specify 12/(4*3) i e use ( )
without the parentheses it would be WRONG to do the multiplication first.
PEDMAS is for computers, and after doing parentheses, they work left to right
meaning while the sqrt of 16 is 4; 16^1/2 is 8 {b/c of lack of parentheses - see in excel}
but 16^.5 does = 4 [and computers do not recognize -4 as a root]
in old school algebra 1/2x = 1/(2x) whereas PEDMAS = (1/2)x aka .5x
I also believe when you are reading the problem in English, it is strictly left to right
in the absence of quantifiers {brackets, braces, etc or "quantity ... end quantity"}
but the new math may disagree with me.
WHEN IN DOUBT, USE PARENTHESES, he screamed silently !!!
parentheses, ASSUMED PARENTHESES, d, m, a, s
{and do not get me started on IPPAPEDMAS; INVISIBLE PARENTHESES, ---- }
and yes, left to right, "except" - - as per dustin's example
12/4 * 3 aka [(12/4)*3] is the same as [ 3*12/4 ] where you can do the multiplication or division in either order and get answer = 9
to get 1, you "must" [<< refer to PAPEDMAS] specify 12/(4*3) i e use ( )
without the parentheses it would be WRONG to do the multiplication first.
PEDMAS is for computers, and after doing parentheses, they work left to right
meaning while the sqrt of 16 is 4; 16^1/2 is 8 {b/c of lack of parentheses - see in excel}
but 16^.5 does = 4 [and computers do not recognize -4 as a root]
in old school algebra 1/2x = 1/(2x) whereas PEDMAS = (1/2)x aka .5x
I also believe when you are reading the problem in English, it is strictly left to right
in the absence of quantifiers {brackets, braces, etc or "quantity ... end quantity"}
but the new math may disagree with me.
WHEN IN DOUBT, USE PARENTHESES, he screamed silently !!!
-
PEMDAS= Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Adding, Subtracting.
You do parenthesis first, then exponents and so on. Here's an example: 4x6/2-(7+2).
You do the problem in the parenthesis: (7+2) which equals 9. So it would turn into 4x6/2-9.
Now you do the problem from left to right: 4x6=24, 24/2= 12, and then 12-9= 3. Get it? And if a problem has division before multiplication, i think that you can do division before multiplication. Well this is easy stuff and i hope you kinda get it now. :]
You do parenthesis first, then exponents and so on. Here's an example: 4x6/2-(7+2).
You do the problem in the parenthesis: (7+2) which equals 9. So it would turn into 4x6/2-9.
Now you do the problem from left to right: 4x6=24, 24/2= 12, and then 12-9= 3. Get it? And if a problem has division before multiplication, i think that you can do division before multiplication. Well this is easy stuff and i hope you kinda get it now. :]