this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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That's because it's already clear as is, as per the rules of Maths.
It's a natural consequence of the definitions of the operators. e.g. Multiplication is shorthand for repeated Addition - 2x3=2+2+2 - so if you don't do it before addition you end up with wrong answers. The order of operations rules is in fact just breaking everything down into Addition and Subtraction and then solving from there.
There are some conventions, like left to right, but in that case that's only because students tend to make mistakes with signs when they don't go from left to right, so it's there to preserve teachers sanity.
More people evaluate
2+3x4incorrectly than2+(3x4). So, no, your answer does not hold up to my observed reality. You can throw as many "well technically" and "well actually" as you want, but that's not going to fix the bug or make a pr.The people who have forgotten the rules of Maths, and the mnemonics even! 😂
So try observing a real Maths textbook then. Students have no trouble at all with this, only adults who've forgotten the rules.
Adults who have forgotten the rules who I work with and read/write code where it's important. In the real world.
This is like some pure maths vs real life engineering cliché.
You're either being deliberately obtuse or you're painfully naive.
And as a consequence of that, MathGPT is the only e-calc which gives correct answers to order of operations! 😂
It's a Correct Maths vs. Programmers who have forgotten the rules cliche
Neither, I'm a Maths teacher
I like and respect teachers, but I'm a software developer and I'm telling you that adding extra parenthesis often adds clarity and makes the whole process smoother. You exist in a whole other context that has norms and assumptions that do not apply to what I'm talking about.
You being technically correct is irrelevant.
So am I
Everyone I've seen add Brackets to it has done so in the WRONG place and given WRONG answers. Again this is an issue of programmers not checking the rules of Maths
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The rules of Maths always apply to all Maths
You're not listening to me and I don't think you're worth listening to. Go away. Goodbye.
Says person refusing to look in Maths textbooks 🙄