If they wanted the multiplication done first they should have put it first if they wanted it done separately they should have put it in brackets. Not my fault some maths guy invented a specific order to do sums in who the fuck cares oh my god we read left to right fucking hell

Multiplication is just shorthand for multiple additions. so 2x4 is actually 4+4. If you expand out the multiplication the above equation becomes 2+4+4. It’s not arbitrary, it’s just what multiplication represents.

Zoot
link
fedilink
122Y

The fundamental way that math originated cares…

nLuLukna
link
fedilink
1
edit-2
2Y

Yeah but the way you derive the order of operations is way above the average maths student.

I say that, but its not really that complicated to derive, since you think in terms of the expansion of the naturals to the reals

My brain is fucking dumb

Zoot
link
fedilink
12Y

If pemdas is above the average math student that’s fucked. I learned it in 5th grade.

Im sorry, what? The order of operations is completely arbitrary, it just also happens to be the standart. Not having PEMDAS would simply mean we have to write equations differently. PEMDAS et al only exist to avoid ambiguity as in this image.

nLuLukna
link
fedilink
12Y

Yeah looking at my comment with fresh eyes, I really failed to say anything true.

But I’m still going to say its not arbitary, since its super fucking convinent and it removes a lot of brackets.

By that reasoning, sure, it is not arbitrary, it might be the most efficient way to resolve things without complicating the notation we have to use. The point about it being arbitrary was more to say that there is no real mathematic basis for it, we have simply agreed to do it this way so everyone applyingnit arrives at the same “correct” solution.

Arguably it has little value in algebra too, since it tends to be written less ambiguously, tho I have not had to really use algebra much since highschool (weirdly it was not a huge part of medschool, at least here, occasional use in chem and phys only).

Except math isn’t real and was entirely made up. Including the order in which the operations are calculated.

Math isn’t real? The universe, and its laws of physics, disagree.

Math is our representation of real world phenomena. The universe is not calculating any computations when gravity takes effect. This is basic mathematical knowledge that they teach you when you first learn physics. So no, math is not real and is entirely made up.

The universe is not calculating any computations when gravity takes effect.

How do you know?

niktemadur
link
fedilink
12Y

I see what you’re saying. But what if we tweak things a little:
Math is real, it is numbers that are invented, the discreet packets in a ruler, a measuring stick. Like an imaginary line in a grid, such as the tropics and equator.

Sure, but it was made up that way for a reason

I’m sure they had a reason. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a completely arbitrary reason

Create a post

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
  • 1 user online
  • 828 users / day
  • 79 users / week
  • 904 users / month
  • 2.75K users / 6 months
  • 0 subscribers
  • 2.98K Posts
  • 32.1K Comments
  • Modlog