40-32/2 =40-16 =24 =4*3*2*1 =4!Ah shit. I almost hate this one more than loss.
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The joke was also explained in the title of the post “A Very Emphatic Answer” which highlights the exclamation mark (emphasis) on the answer as being important.
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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!
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 "
I knew XKCD is based, but this is new level
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.
Especially hat guy.
Who’s on first? :-)
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.
Exactly. if only 2% of people get it, perhaps you’re just shitty at communicating.
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
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40-32/2 _ 4!
40-16 _ 2×3×4
30-6 _ 2×12
24 = 24
Checks out.
Depends if the kid said “four!” or “four factorial”
all maths must be said in a neutral tone lest you imply factorials
Almost as if the joke relies on the fact that in written form those are the same.
That’s how I say factorial though I just yell
So Italians mathematicians put everything in factorial
Throw up some brackets, you rage-baiting motherfucker!
No actually the trick to this one is that Four-Factorial equals 24
So 40 - 16 = 24
Aha! Fair enough.
This one’s perfectly unambiguous without brackets, unlike the 1/2x stuff
1/2x is also unambiguous. 2a=(2xa) by definition. Has done for at least 180 years. Terms
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It’s perfectly reasonable to read this as both (40-32)/2 and 40-(32/2) anywhere past basic math.
No, it isn’t. Division before subtraction.
Intentionally writing equations shittily is a special type of brain rot.
40 - (32 / 2) = ?
Ftfy.
The cleverness is that it works either way
40-16=4!
8/2=4
But then there’s no joke/trick.
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It really is.
Just because it can be written The original way doesn’t mean it should be. It’s like developers that use obscure or single letter variables instead of descriptive variables. Sure, you can write variables in an obtuse manner, but it’s better for everyone if you write them in a descriptive manner.
fun fact, ? = sqrt(-|x| / 0) for all real x
Nothing wrong with the way it’s written - division before subtraction.
And that kids name? Mathew Matician.
The kid who got it wrong? Numbers McCountyFingers.
Where is the bell curve
I actually remember seeing this on my YouTube feed. I was pretty confused at first until I saw the factorial sign.
OH!
Not related. I love your username
Reject tradition, embrace crab
What enrages me is the pairing of “wrong” and “correct”.
With pemdas correct if written, incorrect if spoken. Ignoring pemdas the opposite. And verbally if the exclamation is not spoken as factorial
4 factorial is correct lol
Yee, I was in the midst of correcting myself since I was typing off my memory
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