Add new comment
-
Want facts and want them fast? Our Maths in a minute series explores key mathematical concepts in just a few words.
The COVID-19 emergency resulted in some amazing mathematical collaborations.
Here's a simple game at which a human can out-fox even the cleverest algorithm.
The INI is celebrating its 30th birthday. What is it and what is it do for maths and mathematicians?
Here's our coverage from the International Congress of Mathematicians 2022, including the Fields Medals and other prizes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the differences between us. Understanding these inequalities is crucial for this and future pandemics.
Yes, there is no ambiguity if you (always) do your calculation from "left to right".
There is also no ambiguity if you always do multiplication before division.
You join the "9-people" because left to right has no ambiguity, but the other side has no ambiguity either.
The ambiguity arises when we have these two different rules or orders of operation and haven't agreed on which one we are going to use. It is 'ambiguous' because the writer of the expression could have meant two things and we have no way of knowing which one she/he meant.
So basically you have chosen your side arbitrarily like everyone else, unlike the actual mathematicians who had the correct answer by saying it's unclear or ambiguous.