I think you misunderstand my argument. I could use still math to solve a real-world problem with an altered order of operations. You could still do anything you can do with regular math, if you had a different order of operations. You could make a programming language that parses your inputted expressions with a different order of operations and still use it to calculate collisions or render a 3d scene or do anything else that involves math. Do you need me to calculate something, to prove it to you?
The order of operations is just part of a system of notation and any system of notation that exists in the world is inherently arbitrary. The same way the way that how we draw the number 3 or the number 5 has no inherent meaning behind it other than the convention of how we interpret it, the order of operations is nothing more than a standard part of the notation. Again, I’m not saying that we should or could change it, as there would be no way to indicate which convention we are using and the standard order of operations works perfectly fine.
I think you misunderstand my argument
No, you demonstrably didn’t understand mine, which is, what you are saying is impossible, but you’re still saying it’s possible.
I could use still math to solve a real-world problem with an altered order of operations
No, you can’t. You already tried to do addition first in 2+3x4 and found out why it doesn’t work. Ever since then you’ve been ignoring that result and pretending that there’s some other way to make it work. No, there isn’t. As long as multiplication is defined in terms of addition (i.e. 3x4=3+3+3+3) then it’s impossible to get a right answer unless you do multiplication before addition.
You could still do anything you can do with regular math, if you had a different order of operations
No, you can’t. Again, you already proved you can’t.
Do you need me to calculate something, to prove it to you?
Go ahead - I’m not holding my breath. I already told you why it literally can’t work. But note that adding brackets isn’t changing the order of operations - brackets are already part of the order of operations. Writing 2+3x4 as 2+(3x4) is exactly the same thing.
BTW just to FURTHER prove your “addition first” doesn’t work, look at this example…
3x4+2=3x6=18. But earlier you did 2+3x4=5x4=20 - not even the same answer in an “addition first” world! Welcome to why it’s impossible to make addition-first work. But knock yourself out - you’re welcome to try! 😂
The order of operations is just part of a system of notation
No, it isn’t. It’s part of the rules of Maths. Notation is how you write it - underlying that is how Maths actually works. This is embodied in the rules of Maths.
is inherently arbitrary
Completely fixed, and a result of the way the operators are defined - that was the only “arbitrary” bit, deciding what the operators were and what they were going to mean, but once you did that then the order of operations rules were already written for you (having already been determined as soon as you made the definitions of the operators in the first place).
number 5 has no inherent meaning behind it other than the convention of how we interpret it
Again, not a convention, a rule of how to interpret it. You can’t just decide to interpret 5 as four, or again, you end up with wrong answers. The rules of Maths prevent you from getting wrong answers. You found that out yourself when you tried to do addition first in 2+3x4.
the number 5 has no inherent meaning behind it other than the convention of how we interpret it
Again, not a convention, a rule of how to interpret it. You can’t just decide to interpret 5 as four, or again, you end up with wrong answers. The rules of Maths prevent you from getting wrong answers. You found that out yourself when you tried to do addition first in 2+3x4.
It’s only a wrong answer if you use the same expression you would with the standard order of operations. And I’m not saying we can randomly start interpreting 5 as four, just that there is no law of the universe that makes 5 look like that, and we could theoretically (not practically ofc) switch the definitions of the symbols 5 and 4 if we did it all at once and revised old math expressions to match the new standard. Just as there is no reason the letters “bike” mean what they do other than that’s what someone decided to call it, there is no reason the order of operations is what it is other than that is how someone decided to write it.
Scratch doesn’t even have an order of operations. You can still do math in it.
I’m not saying you can take any expression and get the same answer by doing addition before multiplication. I’m saying you can take any problem and get the correct answer by doing addition before multiplication. In your milk example, that means I would use the expression 2+(3x4) because 2+3x4 is no longer the correct expression needed to solve the problem.
(For an example of my distinction of the words “expression” and “problem”, “(4x)+2” is an expression, and “I start with 2 litres of milk. For every dollar I spend, I get 4 more liters of milk. How much milk do I have?” is a problem.)
My argument also relies on a distinction between the language of modern math and the concept of doing math, defining math as the dictionary definition of “The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols”. As you can see, this makes no mention of the notation commonly used in math. All I am saying is that you can still use numbers to solve problems with an altered order of operations, or by altering any part of the system of notation.
Perhaps seeing how I could solve a problem with a different order of operations will help illustrate my argument:
Problem: 2 cars approach an interchange at a 90 degree angle to each other. Car A approaches the station from 15 meters away at 30 meters/second and Car B approaches the station from 50 meters away at 20 meters/second. How fast is the distance between the cars decreasing?
Answer: the rate of change of the distance between the cars is approximately -27.777 meters per second.
As you can see, I used my altered math notation to find the correct answer. I can still solve a real-world problem with this notation, but the same expressions you would use before may not work now.
It’s only a wrong answer
Really? You want to do that again? Ok, fine… If I have 1 2 litre bottle of milk, and 4 3 litre bottles of milk - i.e. 2+3x4 - how many litres of milk do I have?
you would with the standard order of operations
The definition of 5 as being 1+1+1+1+1 has nothing to do with order of operations.
there is no law of the universe that makes 5 look like that
No, but there is a rule of Maths which defines it.
switch the definitions of the symbols 5 and 4 if we did it all at once and revised old math expressions to match the new standard
In other words everything would be the same as now but we just switched the notation around. I already said that to you a while back. Now you’re getting it.
there is no reason the order of operations is what it is other than that is how someone decided to write it
Got nothing to do with how it’s written - Maths is written differently in many different countries, and yet the underlying order of operations rules are universal.
I’m not saying you can take any expression and get the same answer by doing addition before multiplication
And if it’s not the same answer then it’s wrong. You’re nearly had it.
I’m saying you can take any problem and get the correct answer by doing addition before multiplication
And I told you you can’t. Waiting on a proof from you. Start with 2+3x4 - show me how you can get the correct answer by doing addition first - it’s a nice simple one. :-)
that means I would use the expression 2+(3x4) because 2+3x4
They’re literally the same thing.
All I am saying is that you can still use numbers to solve problems with an altered order of operations, or by altering any part of the system of notation
And I told you that it’s impossible. Changing the notation doesn’t change the Maths.
As you can see, I used my altered math notation to find the correct answer
BWAHAHAHAHA! Nope! I see you putting brackets around the multiplication to make sure it gets done first - same as if you hadn’t used brackets at all! It’s the exact same notation we use now, just with some redundant brackets added to it! And, predictably, you left the addition for last.
Ok, let’s take your example and do addition first (like you claimed can be done)…
15²+50²=15x15+50x50=15x65x50=48,750. But 15²+50² is 2,725 according to my calculator. Ooooh, different answers - I wonder which one is right… I wonder which one is right…???
Thanks for proving it can only be done by following the order of operations rules (just like I’ve been saying to you all along). Bye now.
