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a very emphatic answer (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
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[-] manucode@infosec.pub 237 points 7 months ago
 40-32/2
=40-16
=24
=4*3*2*1
=4!
[-] Thteven@lemmy.world 43 points 7 months ago

Ah shit. I almost hate this one more than loss.

[-] bisby@lemmy.world 157 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I hate how these things always come up because "order of operations!" It's mostly people who are bad at math remembering one topic they struggled with and finally got right, and now they know it's a touchy subject so it will drive engagement. It's the modern equivalent of "Mathematicians hate this one secret for solving equations! Click to find out!" Pure engagement bait.

But in all the engineering ive done, things never really come up like this. If there is any potential clarity issues, parentheses would be used, or it would be formatted in a way that makes it much more clear.

40 - (32/2), or 40 - ³²⁄₂ has no clarity issues imo. You don't even have to think about order of operations because 32 halves is a number on its own. it isn't an "operation" to do necessarily, it's a fraction to reduce.

And yes, I get the joke. The joke is making fun of the engagement bait of "some people will get the order of operations wrong!"

The joke(40 - 32)/2 = 4

If you stop here, you used the wrong order of operations. This is where the the fights normally start in the replies.

but the kid said "4!" not "4"

40 - (32/2) = 24 = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 4!

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 70 points 7 months ago

s. If there is any potential clarity issues, parentheses would be used, or it would be formatted in a way that makes it much more clear.

It reminds me of a very old xkcd that posits "communicating badly and acting smug when you're misunderstood is not cleverness "

https://xkcd.com/169/

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 23 points 7 months ago

I knew XKCD is based, but this is new level

[-] Iron_Lynx@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

I mean, xkcd numbers its comics sequentially, and he's well into the 2000's now, so a 1xy comic is ancient. Looks like at times, old xkcd was brutal.

[-] 5765313496@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Especially hat guy.

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago

Who's on first? :-)

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 30 points 7 months ago

It's the same as "only 2% of people get this right! If you get it right you have a very strong brain!". It's just a little more devious about it.

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Exactly. if only 2% of people get it, perhaps you’re just shitty at communicating.

[-] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago

Love the insight on the bait.

Thanks for the mathsplanation too.

[-] Ballistic_86@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

It does leave ambiguity with it being an, apparent, quote/dialogue. Correct and Incorrect are both correct depending on your POV and how you interpret social media posts

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 91 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

40-32/2 _ 4!

40-16 _ 2×3×4

30-6 _ 2×12

24 = 24

Checks out.

[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 55 points 7 months ago

Depends if the kid said "four!" or "four factorial"

[-] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 24 points 7 months ago

all maths must be said in a neutral tone lest you imply factorials

[-] 42yeah@lemm.ee 12 points 7 months ago

That’s how I say factorial though I just yell

[-] Scrollone@feddit.it 3 points 7 months ago

So Italians mathematicians put everything in factorial

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

Almost as if the joke relies on the fact that in written form those are the same.

[-] Leviathan@lemmy.world 44 points 7 months ago

Throw up some brackets, you rage-baiting motherfucker!

[-] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 31 points 7 months ago

No actually the trick to this one is that Four-Factorial equals 24

So 40 - 16 = 24

[-] Leviathan@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Aha! Fair enough.

[-] MBM 15 points 7 months ago

This one's perfectly unambiguous without brackets, unlike the 1/2x stuff

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[-] justcallmelarry@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 7 months ago

And that kids name? Mathew Matician.

[-] HonkTonkWoman@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

The kid who got it wrong? Numbers McCountyFingers.

[-] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 21 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Intentionally writing equations shittily is a special type of brain rot.

40 - (32 / 2) = ?

Ftfy.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 32 points 7 months ago

The cleverness is that it works either way

40-16=4!

8/2=4

[-] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 8 points 7 months ago

But then there's no joke/trick.

[-] teletext@reddthat.com 5 points 7 months ago

It's not written shitty, though.

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[-] TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz 2 points 7 months ago

fun fact, ? = sqrt(-|x| / 0) for all real x

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 2 points 7 months ago

Nothing wrong with the way it's written - division before subtraction.

[-] Resol@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago

I actually remember seeing this on my YouTube feed. I was pretty confused at first until I saw the factorial sign.

[-] 0ops@lemm.ee 6 points 7 months ago
[-] mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 7 months ago

Where is the bell curve

[-] KazuchijouNo@lemy.lol 7 points 7 months ago

Not related. I love your username

[-] BleatingZombie@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

Reject tradition, embrace crab

[-] lurch@sh.itjust.works 6 points 7 months ago

it's wrong, because:

  • i would never ask a kid something like that
  • there is a question mark missing
  • i don't know any kids and they would probably just flip me off in that situation, which is okay, because they shouldn't talk to strangers
[-] FreshLight@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 months ago

Such a great post lmao

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 3 points 6 months ago

What enrages me is the pairing of "wrong" and "correct".

[-] BugleFingers@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

With pemdas correct if written, incorrect if spoken. Ignoring pemdas the opposite. And verbally if the exclamation is not spoken as factorial

[-] Tier1BuildABear@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

4 factorial is correct lol

[-] BugleFingers@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Yee, I was in the midst of correcting myself since I was typing off my memory

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this post was submitted on 26 May 2024
502 points (94.7% liked)

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