Math(s) problem - puzzle

[dbrenth]

That's what he thought, too, until I actually said the answer out loud. Then he was quite embarassed. Obviously, this is a puzzle with a correct solution and not a real life experience.

Brent

[dbrenth]

Ding ding ding.

Brent

[Greg Utas]

You must have said "five factorial".

Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

[dandy72]

I thought about that...but who provides answers as a factorial?

[Daniel Pfeffer]

"5 factorial" is not a solution; it is simply representing the answer (120) as a different equation. If you were set a problem in a mathematics test 300 - 0.5 x 150 and answered that it is 450 / 2, the teacher would be justified in marking it incomplete because it has not been reduced to the simplest terms.

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

[SeeSharp2]

dbrenth wrote:

the answer was 5!

five factorial. Unless you were yelling at them. :-D

[Lost User]

dbrenth wrote:

Can you please explain it to him?

Dear Teacher, dbrenth is a cocky little so and so, who needs to be taken down a peg or two. ;P

[Greg Utas]

I think it was meant as a riddle rather than something that actually happened.

Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

[CPallini]

You teacher was right, and told you the correct result was actually 76. Could you please tell us why?

"In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

[dandy72]

Sometimes I'm just being a little bit too literal. Daniel's answer above suggests we're both on the same page on this one. :-)

[obermd]

The answer is 120. The way you get "5" is via a flaw in all four function calculators that don't follow basic math order of operations. By the way, the Windows calculator in Standard mode has this same flaw but it works properly in scientific mode.

[obermd]

And marked down for not completing the solution.

[Fueled By Decaff]

I thought the answer was 78.

[CPallini]

42. :-D

"In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

[Greg Utas]

Yeah, you're both on the AR page. :-D

Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

[CPallini]

Bravo!

"In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

[Daniel Pfeffer]

Octal

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

[Keith Barrow]

3! - 1 I think you'll find :) It's curious - nearly everyone I know was taught BODMAS - its the same as PEDMAS, but B=Brackets, O="of". PEDMAS is probably better. Also the great Indian chief "SOH-CAH-TOA". I wonder if they still teach the latter in schools.

KeithBarrow.net[^] - It might not be very good, but at least it is free!

[Rick York]

If you solve it left-to-right, ignoring precedence order, then the answer is 5. An old TI calculator would give you that answer. Today's windows calculator will not: it says 120 because the multiplication is done first.

"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"

[dandy72]

:-D