8÷2(2+2) = ? Mathematician Explains The Correct Answer
What is 8÷2(2 2) = ? Everyone is arguing about this problem, so let’s figure out the correct answer! The problem involves the order of operations, historical math notation, and binary expression trees. Glad to see the world is passionate about mathematics! (Note: some people write 8/2(2 2) = but this has the same answer.)
0:00 Order of operations
1:12 Historical usage
2:11 Common questions
4:08 Binary trees
I studied Mathematics and Economics at Stanford. Press coverage of my work:
*I get many, many emails about this problem and am unable to reply to them.
Here is a 1917 article from “The American Mathematical Monthly“ that explains the usage of the division symbol as an exception to the order of operations
Google evaluation
#q=8÷2(2+2)
What is 6÷2(1 2) = ? The Correct Answer Explained
9 - 3 ÷ 1/3 1 = ? The Correct Answer (Viral Problem In Japan)
Plus Magazine David Linkletter suggests the problem is not well-defined
Harvard’s Oliver Knill also says PEMDAS does not resolve the ambiguous problem
~knill/pedagogy/ambiguity/
Subscribe:
Send me suggestions by email (address in video). I consider all ideas though can’t always reply!
Why are some comments before the video is published? Get early access and support the channel on Patreon
If you buy from the links below I may receive a commission for sales. This has no effect on the price for you.
Show your support! Get a mug, a t-shirt, and more at Teespring, the official site for Mind Your Decisions merchandise:
My Books
Mind Your Decisions: Five Book Compilation
A collection of 5 books:
“The Joy of Game Theory“ rated 4.1/5 stars on 44 reviews
“The Irrationality Illusion: How To Make Smart Decisions And Overcome Bias“ rated 3.5/5 stars on 4 reviews
“40 Paradoxes in Logic, Probability, and Game Theory“ rated 4.4/5 stars on 13 reviews
“The Best Mental Math Tricks“ rated 4.7/5 stars on 8 reviews
“Multiply Numbers By Drawing Lines“ rated 4.3/5 stars on 6 reviews
Mind Your Puzzles: Collection Of Volumes 1 To 3
A collection of 3 books:
“Math Puzzles Volume 1“ rated 4.4/5 stars on 13 reviews
“Math Puzzles Volume 2“ rated 4.5/5 stars on 6 reviews
“Math Puzzles Volume 3“ rated 4.1/5 stars on 7 reviews
Connect with me
My Blog:
Twitter:
Newsletter (sent only for big news, like a new book release):
2017 Shorty Awards Nominee. Mind Your Decisions was nominated in the STEM category (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) along with eventual winner Bill Nye; finalists Adam Savage, Dr. Sandra Lee, Simone Giertz, Tim Peake, Unbox Therapy; and other nominees Elon Musk, Gizmoslip, Hope Jahren, Life Noggin, and Nerdwriter.
1 view
0
0
9 months ago 00:27:21 1
БУДУЩЕЕ НАЧИНАЕТСЯ С ТЕБЯ! Как пережить 2024 год?
9 months ago 00:07:08 1
СРОЧНО! Новый закон для всех ПЕНСИОНЕРОВ с 1 января 2024 г! Защити пенсию от приставов!