FireDigger Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 I happen to be in a math class this semeter, albeit a refresher class, since I didn't do well on the placement test. To many years have passed since I was in school.My $120 calculator says the answer is 288. I have one of those graphing/scientific ones and it's never wrong. Machines don't agree either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warren516 Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 OMG that's just to funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Machines don't agree either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellery Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Ive been looking at this since yesterday, and Ive come to the realization that I do not know the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Comedy. May all ye seekers of 'objective truth' be referred to a discipline called.... Philosophy of Mathematics clearly this equation is open to multiple interpretations lighten up folks.... I got 2. I have taken plenty of post-graduate mathematics courses. Step away from the keyboard. Pick up a pencil. So this is what happens when I don't check in for a couple of days! You guys all must have better eyes than I do... cause I don't see a division symbol!!! All I see are plus signs! I say 72... -LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cletus Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I got 2. I guess it's because I applied mutliplication before division which is apparently how I was taught. My favorite equation of all time: 1 + 1 = 3 . for very large values of 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CohibaBehike Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I AM SO CONFUSED, I just got PI when I tried Tried again and talked with my Fiancee, she says 2 and explained it to me! You must distribute the 2 to the 9+3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeuva Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I AM SO CONFUSED, I just got PI when I tried Tried again and talked with my Fiancee, she says 2 and explained it to me! You must distribute the 2 to the 9+3. That is correct, if we assume that multiplication by juxtaposition takes a higher precedence. Distributing the 2 is simply multiplication. But that's the vagueness to be answered. There is conflicting information on this. And the problem with giving the juxtaposition higher precedence is that technically, it is incorrect, as that is not found in the standard order of operations. The only answer is that it is a poorly written question. But if we want to adhere strictly to the rules, the answer is 288. If we want to assume that multiplication by juxtaposition takes higher precedence than explicit signs, than the answer is 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchkiwi Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Actually, I think this is a pretty good example not of math, but of how people perceive things.It's intentionally vague. Hopefully the author intended for it to be that way. If not, it's just a poorly written expression. Agree. it's obviously good forum spamfodder as well have to laugh at all these people who say "it has to be this". "there is only one answer". etc Written Math is a language like any other, subject to the same consensus and compromise on its symbols and terminology and btw, in many places "÷" means nothing, they only use ":" or "/"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeuva Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 and btw, in many places "÷" means nothing, they only use ":" or "/"! Yep, that's why the way this was written is tricky. When people are using the ÷ sign, they are doing it at a young age, before algebra and distribution/multiplication. When people are older and multiplying by using an expression such as 2(10), they are not using the ÷ sign. So mixing these things up in the same equation throws people a bit, and causes confusion. What I'm curious about is whether this was intentionally done, in which case it's very clever, or if it was done by accident, in which case, not so clever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 how long does it take to dig half a hole? About half as long it takes to dig a whole one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 It is also sad to see the degradation of knowledge and education in favour of online tools like Google, .... I have to agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traded Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 This was fun reading. It is also sad to see the degradation of knowledge and education in favour of online tools like Google, who after all only provide as good answers as the programmer behind the code. And knowing Google this code is usually very raw, unrefined and buggy.Stamping my foot on the subject the answer is 2. This based on assuming the setup of the problem as 48 ------ 2(9+3) If the intent is different then the problem should have been formulated differently. It's a classic example of getting the answers you ask for.... I was one of the folks that mentioned that Google gave 288 but I also said that excel, python, and matlab also gave 288. Moreover, google has some of the best minds of our era working for them and they have made excellent contributions to art and science and will go on to do great things. just saying. you are totally correct, if you assume the setup of the problem is 48 ------ 2(9+3) then you get 2. the problem is that it is not set up as such. It is set up rather poorly, but the way its set up, the answer is 288. ok, I PROMISE this is my last post on this thread. Very interesting thread. Im so glad that there are so many intelligent people on here and that the critical thinking level is very high amongst the FOH BOTL's. No matter if people said 2 or 288, we had very good reasons for our answers. d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 2, surely. a mate of mine, have not seen him for years, has apparently been off mapping the human genome as apparently his maths aren't bad. i'm asking him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I am smoking a Tampa custom and drinking some Tokaji. Recommended combination. I stand by my pencil comment. We are not machines. far more important than maths - which tokaji? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 INo matter if people said 2 or 288, we had very good reasons for our answers.d Hmmm..anyone else find it troubling that answers to math equations can be defended like an opinion? Here's one for ya!! You have to choose one or the other. Option1: $50 Million in cash right here right now. or... Option2: Over 30 days. A penny a day, doubled every day. What would you choose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qman22 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I interpreted that everything after the division sign should be in the denominator, which gave me an answer of 2 I'm really surprised how evenly split the polling is on this so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genevapics Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Hmmm..anyone else find it troubling that answers to math equations can be defended like an opinion? Here's one for ya!! You have to choose one or the other. Option1: $50 Million in cash right here right now. or... Option2: Over 30 days. A penny a day, doubled every day. What would you choose? Ahh, the old penny a day doubled every day puzzle. Haven't seen this one in over 30+ years. I'll take the penny, thank you very much. Amazing what a little compounding will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Ahh, the old penny a day doubled every day puzzle. Haven't seen this one in over 30+ years. I'll take the penny, thank you very much. Amazing what a little compounding will do. I think option 1 would be better. I messed up my spreadsheet calcs and used 1.0 not 0.01 a day. Over 30 days it's $5+ million. So $50 million would be the better choice. I really need to stay out of the math based threads. It's not my forte'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmac77 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I would take the $50 mill right here right now so I could quit my job today and not have to work for another month. I would normally have picked the penny option but I really like Clint's view of this. Why wait another month working. I think I could get by okay with just the $50 million up front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I would normally have picked the penny option but I really like Clint's view of this. Why wait another month working. I think I could get by okay with just the $50 million up front True. If one has enough vacation in their bank. Offer that up as notice and take the month off smoking cigars while you collect your penny a day/doubled. I made a mistake of making Option 1 $50 million. It should have been lower. The penny scheme pays off $5 million. See below. Day 1 $0.01 Day 2 $0.02 Day 3 $0.04 Day 4 $0.08 Day 5 $0.16 Day 6 $0.32 Day 7 $0.64 Day 8 $1.28 Day 9 $2.56 Day 10 $5.12 Day 11 $10.24 Day 12 $20.48 Day 13 $40.96 Day 14 $81.92 Day 15 $163.84 Day 16 $327.68 Day 17 $655.36 Day 18 $1,310.72 Day 19 $2,621.44 Day 20 $5,242.88 Day 21 $10,485.76 Day 22 $20,971.52 Day 23 $41,943.04 Day 24 $83,886.08 Day 25 $167,772.16 Day 26 $335,544.32 Day 27 $671,088.64 Day 28 $1,342,177.28 Day 29 $2,684,354.56 Day 30 $5,368,709.12 I do believe I'm threadjacking now though. FireDigger. I can delete if you like. Let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloth Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I interpreted that everything after the division sign should be in the denominator, which gave me an answer of 2I'm really surprised how evenly split the polling is on this so far Why do you think I call it a metaphor for US politics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiley Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Math is like a language, and this was simply poorly stated. Someone was lazy and couldn't make the time to ensure their equation was unequivocal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireDigger Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 True. If one has enough vacation in their bank. Offer that up as notice and take the month off smoking cigars while you collect your penny a day/doubled. I made a mistake of making Option 1 $50 million. It should have been lower. The penny scheme pays off $5 million. I do believe I'm threadjacking now though. FireDigger. I can delete if you like. Let me know. Doesn't it pay off $10,737,418.23 if you keep the money from all 30 days? Still, option 1 of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smpf67 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 To all interested in Algebra, remember this acronym which tells you what to do first, second, third, the..... PEMDAS or Please Excuse Dear Aunt Sally (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add and Subtract). 288 is correct. I teach this to 5th graders. First, the parenthesis' always come before additions, subtactions, multiplications, so add the parenthesis(9+3=12). Next, divide (48/2= 24). Then MULTIPLY the two answers (24x12=288). Remember, there is no space between the original 2(9.....so it means multiply those two answers to get the final answer. Good job to the 288ers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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