There are many puzzles on the internet that have left people perplexed and arguing about the true solution. A viral math puzzle that had employers and even scientists scratching their heads is comparable to the notorious blue and black clothing that went popular on social media and even among experts.
In 2019, a user invited their followers to solve the now-controversial math problem 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2) in a photo they uploaded on Twitter. This sparked a heated discussion on social media on Twitter.
The iconic math puzzle has the editors of the lifestyle magazine Popular Mechanics at a standstill. The editors discussed and figured out the true answer to the issue by moving the discussion to their official office chatbox.
One of the editors said that the common rule known as “PEMDAS,” or “Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction,” was the practical approach that was taught in elementary and high school. In this instance, equations or problems must be answered from left to right in the order that the operations occur on the acronym: those in parenthesis must be solved first, followed by exponents, and so on.
As a result, they would have 8 ÷ 2 x 4 after solving the 2 + 2 in the parenthesis, which would provide 2. After this, according to Mashup Math, the equation requires that the leftmost operation be completed first. This means that although though multiplication comes before division, 8 ÷ 2 must be solved first, not 2 x 4.
When the quotient is 4, we get 4 x 4, which has a product of 16. Even math-savvy scientists tend to disagree with this operation, though, as do half of the internet population.
The answer, according to the other half of Popular Mechanics editors, is 1. How did they come up with this query? Additionally, they employed “PEMDAS,” although they interpreted it differently.
They decided that the sum should be handled like it is in a parenthesis, which is 8÷2(4), but that the 2+2 in the parenthesis should be answered first. According to the math lesson he took, one of the editors noted that a multiplication operation in parentheses takes precedence over division, regardless of whether it is on the left side of the equation.
Mathematicians and physicists joined the fray as the question drained the internet’s vitality on the frenzied argument. According to Mike Breen of the American Mathematical Society Public Awareness Office, 16 is the correct response given the order of operations.
He did acknowledge, though, that the equation is in fact “ambiguous” in its current form.
There are often ambiguities in mathematics. The goal of mathematicians is to create laws that are as exact as feasible. You would receive 16 under the rigorous order of operations, but if someone said 1, I wouldn’t strike them in the wrist with a ruler,” he remarked.
Even with Breen’s unambiguous response, some individuals remain skeptical. The other half of the magazine editors felt that the argument had been resolved when they turned to Southeastern Louisiana University physics professor Rhett Allain for assistance.
“This is customary. Just as we have rules about how to spell things, we also have rules about how to write these things. However, there are still various customs. It is spelled “gray” by some and “grey” by others. We still know what’s happening,” he explained.
However, he believed that the question should have been stated correctly as 8/(2*(2+2)), which would have produced the quotient of 1.
