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Math(s) problem - puzzle

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  • D 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

    Greg UtasG Offline
    Greg UtasG Offline
    Greg Utas
    wrote on last edited by
    #7

    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.

    <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
    <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

    D D 2 Replies Last reply
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    • Greg UtasG 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.

      D Offline
      D Offline
      dbrenth
      wrote on last edited by
      #8

      Ding ding ding.

      Brent

      D 1 Reply Last reply
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      • Greg UtasG 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.

        D Offline
        D Offline
        dandy72
        wrote on last edited by
        #9

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

        Greg UtasG C R 3 Replies Last reply
        0
        • D dbrenth

          Ding ding ding.

          Brent

          D Offline
          D Offline
          Daniel Pfeffer
          wrote on last edited by
          #10

          "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.

          E 1 Reply Last reply
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          • D dbrenth

            My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

            230 - 220 x 0.5

            and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

            Brent

            S Offline
            S Offline
            SeeSharp2
            wrote on last edited by
            #11

            dbrenth wrote:

            the answer was 5!

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

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • D dbrenth

              My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

              230 - 220 x 0.5

              and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

              Brent

              L Offline
              L Offline
              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #12

              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

              O 1 Reply Last reply
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              • D dandy72

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

                Greg UtasG Offline
                Greg UtasG Offline
                Greg Utas
                wrote on last edited by
                #13

                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.

                <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
                <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

                D 1 Reply Last reply
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                • D dbrenth

                  My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                  230 - 220 x 0.5

                  and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                  Brent

                  C Offline
                  C Offline
                  CPallini
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #14

                  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

                  F D 2 Replies Last reply
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                  • Greg UtasG 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.

                    D Offline
                    D Offline
                    dandy72
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #15

                    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. :-)

                    Greg UtasG 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • D dbrenth

                      My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                      230 - 220 x 0.5

                      and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                      Brent

                      O Offline
                      O Offline
                      obermd
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #16

                      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.

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • L 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

                        O Offline
                        O Offline
                        obermd
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #17

                        And marked down for not completing the solution.

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • C 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

                          F Offline
                          F Offline
                          Fueled By Decaff
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #18

                          I thought the answer was 78.

                          C 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • F Fueled By Decaff

                            I thought the answer was 78.

                            C Offline
                            C Offline
                            CPallini
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #19

                            42. :-D

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

                            L 1 Reply Last reply
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                            • D 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. :-)

                              Greg UtasG Offline
                              Greg UtasG Offline
                              Greg Utas
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #20

                              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.

                              <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
                              <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

                              D D 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • C 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

                                D Offline
                                D Offline
                                Daniel Pfeffer
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #21

                                Octal

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

                                C 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • D 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.

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  CPallini
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #22

                                  Bravo!

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

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                                  • D Daniel Pfeffer

                                    You are wrong, the teacher is right. The order of precedence in mathematical operations is (mnemonic PEMDAS): Parentheses Exponentiation Multiplication & Division Addition & Subtraction If two operations have the same precedence, they are evaluated from left to right. Your problem may be rewritten as 230 - (220 x 0.5), the answer to which is obviously not 5.

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

                                    K Offline
                                    K Offline
                                    Keith Barrow
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #23

                                    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!

                                    D P 2 Replies Last reply
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                                    • D dbrenth

                                      My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                                      230 - 220 x 0.5

                                      and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                                      Brent

                                      R Offline
                                      R Offline
                                      Rick York
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #24

                                      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?"

                                      P 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • Greg UtasG 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.

                                        D Offline
                                        D Offline
                                        dandy72
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #25

                                        :-D

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • D dbrenth

                                          My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                                          230 - 220 x 0.5

                                          and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                                          Brent

                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriff
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #26

                                          And today you learn that nobody likes a smartarse ... :laugh:

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                          D D 2 Replies Last reply
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