this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
692 points (91.2% liked)
Science Memes
17906 readers
1303 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
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.
says the person who is actually reading them wrong, who is unable to cite any example of me reading it wrong
the content of the bracket - you just quoted that yourself and still completely missed what that means 😂
collapsed inline media
BRACKETS has precedence over everything 😂 So here we have an example of you reading it wrong
And can you find any source which says Multiplication takes precedence over Brackets? No. Another example of you reading it wrong
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 😂
The only person downvoting me is the person replying, whereas the others are getting downvoted by others as well 🙄
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
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
And it is indeed proof.
Agree with me (except for Texas Instruments)
Written by programmers who have forgotten the rules of Maths, and as pointed out by many people in forums.
And yet, here you are not reconsidering 🙄
Because BRACKETS - ab=(axb) BY DEFINITION 😂
collapsed inline media
And is also the exact same rule 🙄
There's a reason it's called The Distributive Law
BRACKETS taking precedence over Exponents is "silly"?? 🤣🤣🤣
BRACKETS taking precedence over Exponents is "unfortunately wrong"?? 🤣🤣🤣
You think they're wrong you mean, person who is saying Brackets before Exponents is "wrong" 🤣🤣🤣
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 🙄
I know they are because I have spoken directly to them 😂 Maybe try asking some yourself, before making completely wrong statements
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.
You know there's a whole bunch of programmers who don't bother even defining tests to begin with, right??
Yep!
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 🙄
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.
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.
Yep, that's an old Casio model, Mr. "All modern calculators", proving yet again that you can't back up your own statements 😂
No need to wait - just scroll back through this thread and look at all the sources I already posted 🙄
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
So am I in case you didn't notice 😂
I've never seen more than 2 on any, Mr. Needs To Exaggerate Because Has No Actual Evidence Of Being Right 😂
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!You realise the calculator manufacturers have much more riding on their calculators being correct, right? 😂
Nope. Programmed by... programmers, who aren't earning any money from the calculator, and put the corresponding amount of effort into it.
says someone who just claimed that e-calcs count as much as actual, buy from a store, calculators 🤣
Also well known to give wrong answers
Nope! Academia warns against using it
In other words, you're admitting to trying to deflect from what's in Maths textbooks! 😂
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? 🤣
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 😂
collapsed inline media
collapsed inline media
collapsed inline media
collapsed inline media
Being able to reverse the process of Factorising brings no benefit to the table?? 🤣
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?? 🤣
AKA Factorised Terms and Products 😂
Again, explain how "my invention" appears in textbooks that are more than 100 years old. I'll wait 🤣
Have you noticed yet that everything you think is correct is actually wrong as per Maths textbooks?? 🤣
says person who has been comprehensively defeated by Maths textbooks and is now trying to deflect away from that 🤣
I'll take that as an admission that you're wrong then, having been unable to debunk any Maths textbooks. See ya
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? 🤣
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"?
You did! 😂 You said 2(3+5)²=2(8)²=2(64), which is doing the Exponent when there are still unsolved Brackets 😂
You still haven't explained how it's in 19th Century textbooks if I "made it up"! 😂
collapsed inline media
collapsed inline media
If you don't remember Roman Numerals either, that's 1898
says person who still hasn't produced a single textbook that supports anything that they say, and it's such a simple request 😂
Solving brackets does not include forced distribution. Juxtaposition means multiplication, and as such,
2(3+5)²is the same as2*(3+5)², so once the brackets result in8, they're solved.Distribution needs to happen if you want to remove the brackets while there are still multiple terms inside, but it's still a part of the multiplication. You can't do it if there is an exponent, which has higher priority.
Your whole argument hangs on the misinterpretation of textbooks. This is what it feels like to argue against Bible fanatics lmao.
Tell you what, provide me a solver that says
2(3+5)²is 256 and you've won, it's so easy no?Yes it does! 😂
collapsed inline media
No, it doesn't. A Product is the result of Multiplication. If a=2 and b=3, axb=ab, 2x3=6, axb=2x3, ab=6. 3(x-y) is 1 term, 3x-3y is 2 terms...
collapsed inline media
No it isn't. 2(3+5)² is 1 term, 2x(3+5)² is 2 terms
They don't - you still have an undistributed coefficient, 2(8)
Not until you've Distributed and Simplified they aren't
collapsed inline media
if you want to remove the brackets, YES, that's what the Brackets step is for, duh! 😂 The textbook above says to Distribute first, then Simplify.
As in 2(8)=(2x8) and 2(3+5)=(6+10) is multiple Terms inside 😂
Nope! The Brackets step, duh 😂 You cannot progress until all Brackets have been removed
collapsed inline media
It doesn't have a higher priority than Brackets! 🤣
says person who can't cite any textbooks that agree with them, so their whole argument hangs on all Maths textbooks are wrong but can't say why, 😂 wrongly calls Products "Multiplication", and claimed that I invented a rule that is in an 1898 textbook! 🤣 And has also failed to come up with any alterative "interpretations" of "must" and "Brackets" that don't mean, you know, must and brackets 😂
says the Bible fanatic, who in this case can't even show me what it says in The Bible (Maths textbooks) that agrees with them 😂
provide me a Maths textbook that says 8/2(1+3)=16 and you’ve won, it’s so easy no? 🤣
And in the meantime, here's one saying it's 1, because x(x-1) is a single Term...
collapsed inline media
collapsed inline media
https://youtu.be/xoZzHMoB5qA
This is a college textbook, and that explains how to solve it.
Another example: https://stemjock.com/STEM%20Books/OpenStax%20CA%202e/Chapter%201/Section%201/OSCACh1s1e32.pdf
Alternatively, here is another example: https://www.kingphilip.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Supplemental_Topics_from_Algebra_1.pdf
In case you can't find the correct part:
collapsed inline media
It's a college refresher course on high school Maths. They also forgot to cover The Distributive Law, which is not unusual given college Professors don't actually teach high school Maths.
From the same refresher course 🙄
Which also doesn't cover The Distributive Law, which isn't surprising given that chapter isn't even about order of operations! 😂
Still not about a(b+c). You lot are investing so much effort into such an obvious False Equivalence argument it's hilarious! 😂
Don't move the goalposts. I've posted textbooks showing that "solving brackets" only applies to the inside, and distribution is part of multiplication and optional.
You've said yourself your magic rule is taught in highschool, so a refresher course in college would never ignore it.
Now instead of giving weak excuses, provide your part of the proof. And I'm not talking about multiplication, I want to see anywhere where a distribution is given precedence over an exponent.
If 5(4)^2^ is 5*16 then 2(8)^2^ is 2*64.
I get a free hoagie.
I didn't. You're the one who has been desperately trying to make a False Equivalence argument between a(b+c) and a(bc)² 🙄
No you haven't. A college refresher isn't a Maths textbook, and I already pointed out to you that they don't mention The Distributive Law at all, unlike, you know, high school Maths textbooks 🙄
And the high school Maths textbooks I posted prove you are wrong about that 🙄
And the high school Maths textbooks I posted prove you are wrong about that too, 🙄 unless you think "optional" is a valid interpretation of what "must" means 😂
Yep
And yet you proved that they did in fact forget about it 🙄
they say to person who has been backed up by every textbook they posted so far 😂
Just scroll back dude - they're all still there, like here for example.
Well that'll be a nice change then 😂
Because you are hell bent on making a False Equivalence argument between a(b+c) and a(bc)². I don't care dude. there is no exponent in the meme. I'll take that as an admission that you are wrong about a(b+c) then.
Who are you talking to?
All I said was: If 5(4)^2^ is 5*16, like this college math textbook shows, then 2(8)^2^ is 2*64.
Every published example will agree this is how it works. None, at any level of education, will agree with your bullshit.