this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I tried Wolfram Alpha, Google, and others, and they all return 128

Yep, all known to give wrong order of operations answers

So either you’re wrong

Well, it's not me, so...

all people who make these tools professionally are wrong

That's right. Welcome to programmers writing Maths apps without checking that they have their Maths right first. BTW, in some cases it's as bad as one of their calculators saying 2+3x4=20! 😂

To be clear, the reason you’re wrong is because distribution is not part of the brackets step

To be clear, I am correct, because Distribution is part of the Brackets step, as we have already established...

Brackets are solved before exponents,

Yes

resulting in 2(8)²

No, you haven't finished solving the Brackets yet, which you must do before proceeding...

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Remove the brackets and then it’s 2*8²

Nope! We have already established that you cannot remove the brackets if you haven't Distributed yet...

collapsed inline media

So what we actually get is...

2(8)²=(2x8)²=16²

and now that I have removed the Brackets, I can now do the exponent,,,

16²=256

Welcome to you finding the answer to 2x(3+5)² - where the 2 is separate to the brackets, separated from them by the multiply sign - rather than 2(3+5)², which has no multiply sign, and therefore the 2 must be Distributed

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Lmao citing yourself and assuming you're correct and smarter than everyone who programs solvers, even those who are known to be respectable and used extensively in academia. Nothing's been established cause you've cited sources that don't support your argument, and repeating them again and again won't make it different. Good day bro, continuing this is useless.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Lmao citing yourself

Nope! I cite Maths textbooks here, here, here, here, here, here, here, a calculator here, need I go on? 🙄 There's plenty more of them

assuming you’re correct and smarter than everyone who programs solvers,

That's hilarious that you think random programmers know more about Maths than a Maths professional 😂

even those who are known to be respectable and used extensively in academia

As I already stated, everyone knows the complete opposite of that about them. It's hilarious that you're trying to prop up places that give both right and wrong answers to the exact same expression as somehow being "respectable". 😂 And you'll see at the end of that thread - if you decide to read it this time - the poof that academia does not use it (because they know it spits out random answers)

Nothing’s been established cause you’ve cited sources that don’t support your argument

BWAHAHAHAAH! Like?? 😂

repeating them again and again won’t make it different.

That's right, the Maths textbooks are still as correct about it as the first time I cited them.

continuing this is useless

Well it is when you don't bother reading the links, which you've just proven is the case

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've read everything you've posted, but the problem is you're interpreting the texts in such a way that they support your flawed argument, conveniently ignoring what they're actually saying, such as "if" statements.

Even this textbook that you yourself posted goes against what you're saying if you just bother to look at it outside of your tunnel vision:

collapsed inline media

Notice something?

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’ve read everything you’ve posted

You've read every textbook, and looked at the calculator answer? Yeah nah, you clearly haven't.

you’re interpreting the texts in such a way that they support your flawed argument

Says person who can't come up with any textbooks that support their argument. 😂 BTW if you had looked at the calculator, you would've seen it does it exactly as I have described - 6/2(1+2)=6/2(3)=6/(2x3)=6/6=1, not, you know, 6/2(1+2)=3(3)=9, which is your flawed argument

conveniently ignoring what they’re actually saying, such as “if” statements

Says person ignoring this "if" statement which says you literally must distribute if you want to remove the brackets.

collapsed inline media

Even this textbook that you yourself posted goes against what you’re saying

No it doesn't! 😂

Notice something?

Yes, you ignored the Distribution in the last step 😂 I have no idea what you think is significant about the first 2 steps, other than you were trying to draw attention away from the Distribution in the last step

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Here's another one (different authors) that does the same thing, which you would've seen if you had actually read all the textbooks I posted, but they explicitly spell out what they're doing as they're doing it...

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[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yep I have looked at all you've posted, I say you're wrong because what you've posted says things that are true, but you're reading them wrong. For example your last image clearly says a number next to a bracket means the content of the bracket must be multiplied with said number. Nowhere there does anybody speak of distribution taking precedence over other operations. In fact, nowhere in all sources I can find does it say so. Wonder why all screenshots you post use convoluted wording and wonder why you pop up everywhere arguing the same thing and keep getting downvoted? At some point you need to understand that if one old-ass calculator and selective reading of cherry picked passages is all the proof you have, when all modern calculators and algebra solvers go against you, maybe it's time to reconsider.

Juxtaposition taking precedence over other multiplications I can understand and it's an arguable point. Distribution being a mandatory step and taking precedence over even exponents is just silly and unfortunately wrong.

Also another thing: you're a math teacher as you've said, and consistently ask if I think "random programmers" know more about algebra than you. What I say to that is I've met plenty of teachers who are wrong about things in their own fields, for one. And also, people defining the rules of all those algebra solvers aren't the programmers, as you'd know if you looked a bit into product development. It's domain experts, who also define tests and receive feedback on the software's performance and errors. I'm sure (lol) you've sent feedback to them, and they probably looked at it and decided you're wrong. As well all have.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

you’re reading them wrong

says the person who is actually reading them wrong, who is unable to cite any example of me reading it wrong

clearly says a number next to a bracket means the content of the bracket must be multiplied with said number

the content of the bracket - you just quoted that yourself and still completely missed what that means 😂

collapsed inline media

Nowhere there does anybody speak of distribution taking precedence over other operations

BRACKETS has precedence over everything 😂 So here we have an example of you reading it wrong

nowhere in all sources I can find does it say so

And can you find any source which says Multiplication takes precedence over Brackets? No. Another example of you reading it wrong

Wonder why all screenshots you post use convoluted wording

They don't use "convoluted wording"! 🤣

"the contents OF THE BRACKETS should be multiplied"

"everything IN THE BRACKET should be multiplied by that number"

Yet another example of you reading it wrong 😂

wonder why you pop up everywhere arguing the same thing and keep getting downvoted?

The only person downvoting me is the person replying, whereas the others are getting downvoted by others as well 🙄

At some point you need to understand that if one old-ass calculator

My brand new Casio calculator gives the same answer! 😂 They all do now, except for Texas Instruments - the only one stubbornly still doing it wrongly

selective reading of cherry picked passages

Sure, I'm "cherry picking" the sections of textbooks about Distribution. Do you want me to post something random about a different topic? 😂 BTW, noted that you haven't come up with any textbooks that agree with you

all the proof you have

And it is indeed proof.

when all modern calculators

Agree with me (except for Texas Instruments)

algebra solvers

Written by programmers who have forgotten the rules of Maths, and as pointed out by many people in forums.

maybe it’s time to reconsider

And yet, here you are not reconsidering 🙄

Juxtaposition taking precedence over other multiplications I can understand

Because BRACKETS - ab=(axb) BY DEFINITION 😂

collapsed inline media

it’s an arguable point

And is also the exact same rule 🙄

Distribution being a mandatory step

There's a reason it's called The Distributive Law

taking precedence over even exponents is just silly

BRACKETS taking precedence over Exponents is "silly"?? 🤣🤣🤣

and unfortunately wrong

BRACKETS taking precedence over Exponents is "unfortunately wrong"?? 🤣🤣🤣

What I say to that is I’ve met plenty of teachers who are wrong about things in their own fields,

You think they're wrong you mean, person who is saying Brackets before Exponents is "wrong" 🤣🤣🤣

people defining the rules of all those algebra solvers aren’t the programmers,

Yes they are! That's why they give wrong answers 😂 I told one he was wrong and he went and fixed it, being the one who had programmed it that way 🙄

as you’d know if you looked a bit into product development.

I know they are because I have spoken directly to them 😂 Maybe try asking some yourself, before making completely wrong statements

It’s domain experts

No it isn't, as proven by personal experience. You know who uses domain experts? calculator manufacturers. 😂 They have considerably more riding on it being right or not.

who also define tests and receive feedback on the software’s performance and errors

You know there's a whole bunch of programmers who don't bother even defining tests to begin with, right??

I’m sure (lol) you’ve sent feedback to them

Yep!

they probably looked at it and decided you’re wrong

Except for the ones who did change it. The ones who claimed I was wrong, quoted Google - who have also been told they're wrong by many people -and not Maths textbooks 🙄

As well all have.

says person who did nothing of the sort, and lied about such things as "all modern calculators " being against me (they aren't, if you had actually tried some), Exponents having precedence over Brackets, etc.

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Here you go:

collapsed inline media

Please post a source that gives a different answer to this expression, I'll wait.

There's of course programmers that implement their own projects, but for big monetized products that's no longer the case. I'm in the software industry myself and have worked extensively in product development.

Sure bro you have multiple downvotes in many posts, I'm sure it's the person you're arguing with logging in with multiple accounts lol.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Here you go

Yep, that's an old Casio model, Mr. "All modern calculators", proving yet again that you can't back up your own statements 😂

Please post a source that gives a different answer to this expression, I’ll wait.

No need to wait - just scroll back through this thread and look at all the sources I already posted 🙄

for big monetized products that’s no longer the case

You know none of the calculators you're referring to are commercial right? They're all free to use, and that tells you how much effort was put into them. The only e-calc I've ever seen give a correct answer is MathGPT, which is indeed commercial now (I tried it before it went commercial), so we have a commercial e-calc giving the correct answer, and all the free ones giving the wrong answer 😂

collapsed inline media

I’m in the software industry myself

So am I in case you didn't notice 😂

you have multiple downvotes in many posts

I've never seen more than 2 on any, Mr. Needs To Exaggerate Because Has No Actual Evidence Of Being Right 😂

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You realize a calculator doesn't need to be a dedicated hardware, right? Windows calculator, MacOS calculator, Android calculator, and all web-based calculators count as well.

You have no clue what you're talking about. Wolfram Alpha is a commercial product (with a free-tier as is usual nowadays) and uses the same engine as Mathematica, which is used extensively in industry, academic institutions, and government agencies.

None of your sources has exponents in them, and that's very convenient for your mistake of mixing up juxtaposition and your invented rule.

Btw, ask yourself this as well: why would your invented interpretation of distributive law be necessary at all? It brings no benefit to the table at all. Juxtaposition arguably does, because it allows shorter notation, but your invention doesn't.

Please find a calculator that gives a result different to 128 for the expression 2(3+5)². You won't be able to, because it's the only correct answer. If you don't post a reproducible example of a solver anywhere coming to a different solution, I'll consider your argument defeated and ignore further engagement from your part. Have a nice day!

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You realize a calculator doesn’t need to be a dedicated hardware, right?

You realise the calculator manufacturers have much more riding on their calculators being correct, right? 😂

Windows calculator, MacOS calculator, Android calculator, and all web-based calculators count as well.

Nope. Programmed by... programmers, who aren't earning any money from the calculator, and put the corresponding amount of effort into it.

You have no clue what you’re talking about.

says someone who just claimed that e-calcs count as much as actual, buy from a store, calculators 🤣

Alpha is a commercial product (with a free-tier as is usual nowadays)

Also well known to give wrong answers

uses the same engine as Mathematica, which is used extensively in industry, academic institutions

Nope! Academia warns against using it

None of your sources has exponents in them

In other words, you're admitting to trying to deflect from what's in Maths textbooks! 😂

that’s very convenient for your mistake of mixing up juxtaposition and your invented rule

It's the same rule, duh! Here it is in a textbook from more than 100 years ago when everything was still in brackets...

collapsed inline media

We've since then dropped the brackets from Factors which are a single Term. i.e. (a)(b+c) is now a(b+c), and (a)(b) is now ab. BTW would you like to explain how "my invented rule" appears in a textbook from more than 100 years ago? 🤣

Btw, ask yourself this as well: why would your invented interpretation of distributive law be necessary at all?

It's not invented, it's required as the reverse rule to Factorising, duh 😂 And I don't need to ask myself - as usual, all you have to do is look in Maths textbooks for the reason 😂

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collapsed inline media

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It brings no benefit to the table at all.

Being able to reverse the process of Factorising brings no benefit to the table?? 🤣

Juxtaposition arguably does

It's the same thing duh 🤣 ab=(a)(b), a(b+c)=(a)(b+c) notice how they are the same thing, expanding BRACKETS?? 🤣

Maybe you've forgotten about FOIL...

collapsed inline media

Now, think carefully about this, what happens when b=0, and what happens when d=0, you got it yet?? 🤣

because it allows shorter notation

AKA Factorised Terms and Products 😂

your invention doesn’t.

Again, explain how "my invention" appears in textbooks that are more than 100 years old. I'll wait 🤣

because it’s the only correct answer

Have you noticed yet that everything you think is correct is actually wrong as per Maths textbooks?? 🤣

I’ll consider your argument defeated

says person who has been comprehensively defeated by Maths textbooks and is now trying to deflect away from that 🤣

ignore further engagement from your part

I'll take that as an admission that you're wrong then, having been unable to debunk any Maths textbooks. See ya

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Please find a calculator that gives a result different to 128 for the expression 2(3+5)². Should be easy, no?

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Please find a calculator that gives a result different to 128 for the expression 2(3+5)². Should be easy, no?

Please find a Maths textbook that backs that up as being the correct answer. i.e. Exponents before Brackets. Should be easy, no? 🤣

[–] moriquende@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (9 children)

Nobody has argued exponents should go before brackets.

I'm saying distribution being mandatory is an invented rule from your part.

No wonder you can't produce such a simple request. I thought you had calculators that work "correctly"?

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

therefore the 2 must be Distributed

Like how the 5 in the first image isn't?

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Like how the 5 in the first image isn’t?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! And how exactly do you think they got from 5(17) to 85 without distributing?? 🤣 Spoiler alert, this is what they actually did...

5(17)=(5x17)=85

They do that throughout the book, because they think it's so trivial to get from 5(17) to 85, that if you don't know how to do it without writing (5x17) first, then you have deeper problems than just not knowing how to Distribute 😂

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

5(17) means they didn't distribute 5(3+14) into 5*3+5*14.

These textbooks unambiguously disagree.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

5(17) means they didn’t distribute 5(3+14) into 53+514

That's right, they Distributed the 5(17) into (5x17), and your point is?

These textbooks unambiguously disagree

With you, yes, and your point is?

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The first textbook only gets 5(17) by not doing what the second textbook says to do with 5(3+14).

First image says 'always simplify inside,' and shows that.

Second image says 'everything inside must be multiplied,' and shows that.

You're such an incompetent troll that you proved yourself wrong within the same post.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The first textbook only gets 5(17) by not doing what the second textbook says to do with 5(3+14)

Because the first textbook is illustrating do brackets from the inside out, which the second textbook isn't doing (it only has one set of brackets, not nested brackets like the first one). They even tell you that right before the example. They still are both Distributing. You're also ignoring that they actually wrote 5[3+(14)], so they are resolving the inner brackets first, exactly as they said they were doing. 🙄 The 5 is outside the outermost brackets, and so they Distribute when they reach the outermost brackets. This is so not complicated - I don't know why you struggle with it so much 🙄

First image says ‘always simplify inside,’ and shows that

And then says to Distribute, and shows that 🙄 "A number next to anything in brackets means the contents of the brackets should be multiplied".

Second image says ‘everything inside must be multiplied,’ and shows that

Yep, that's right, same as I've been telling you the whole time 😂

You’re such an incompetent troll that you proved yourself wrong within the same post

Ah, no, you did, again - you even just quoted that the second one also says to Distribute! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 😂 I'll remember that you just called yourself an incompetent troll going forward. 😂

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think I know what you're missing - perhaps intentionally 🙄 - in a(b+c), c can be equal to 0. It can be any number, not just positive and negative, leaving us with a(b)=(axb), which is also what I've been saying all along (not sure how you missed it, other than to deliberately ignore it)

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You’ve harassed a dozen people to say only 53+514

Nope! I've said a(b+c)=(ab+ac) is correct.

to the point you think 2(3+5)2 isn’t 2*82

You mean I know that, because it disobeys The Distributive Law 🙄 The expression you're looking for is 2x(3+5)², which is indeed not subject to Distribution, since the 2 is not next to the brackets.

If you’d stuck to one dogmatic answer

Instead I've stuck to one actual law of Maths, a(b+c)=(ab+ac).

But you’ve concisely proven

The Distributive Law, including c=0 🙄 Not sure why you would think c=0 is somehow an exception from a law

the harassment is the point

No, the rules of Maths is the point

when you can’t do algebra right

Says person who thinks c=0 is somehow an exception that isn't allowed,🙄but can't cite any textbook which says that

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (25 children)

Dude you're not even hitting the right reply buttons anymore. Is that what you do when you're drunk? It'd explain leading with 'nope! I've said exactly what you accused me of.'

You keep pretending distribution is different from multiplication:

The context is Maths, you have to obey the rules of Maths. a(b+c)=(ab+ac), 5(8-5)=(5x8-5x5).

That’s not Multiplication, it’s Distribution, a(b+c)=(ab+ac), a(b)=(axb).

And then posting images that explicitly say the contents of the brackets should be multiplied. Or that they can be simplified first. I am not playing dueling-sources with you, because your own sources call bullshit on what you keep hassling strangers about.

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

says person who can’t tell the difference between a(b+c) and a(bc)

Then you're just a crank who lies to thirteen-year-olds about some bullshit you made up.

Both 2(8+0)^2^ and 2(8*1)^2^ simplify to 2(8)^2^. They can't get different answers.

Nobody but you has this problem. Real math doesn't work differently based on how you got there.

[–] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Then you’re just a crank who lies to thirteen-year-olds about some bullshit you made up.

Weird then that's in in Maths textbooks isn't it 😂

Both 2(8+0)2 and 2(8*1)2

Says another person who can't tell the difference between a(b+c) and a(bc) 🙄

Nobody but you has this problem

Knowing how to read Maths textbooks is a problem?? 😂 I can assure you that all my students have this same "problem"

Real math doesn’t work differently based on how you got there

It does if you have different expressions, such as 8/2(1+3) and 8/2x(1+3)

B 8/2(1+3)=8/(2+6)=8/8

E

DM 8/8=1

AS

B 8/2x(1+3)=8/2x4

E

DM 8/2x4=4x4=16

AS

Different expressions, different order of evaluation, same rules of Maths (both following BEDMAS here) resulting in the different evaluations of the different expressions 🙄

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

If you can simplify before distributing - and the PDFs you spam say you can - then there is no difference. You made it the fuck up.

2(n)^2^ is 2n^2^ whether n=a+b or n=a*b=ab. If you want to square the 2, that's (2n)^2^.

It's not about the multiply sign, or grouping, or division. You fooled yourself into saying 2=1.