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Glitch in the matrix (ani.social)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The real answer is that anyone who deals with math a lot would never write it this way

Yes, they would - it's the standard way to write a factorised term.

but use fractions instead

Fractions and division aren't the same thing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Fractions and division aren't the same thing.

Are you for real? A fraction is a shorthand for division with stronger (and therefore less ambiguous) order of operations

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Are you for real?

Yes, I'm a Maths teacher.

A fraction is a shorthand for division with stronger (and therefore less ambiguous) order of operations

I added emphasis to where you nearly had it.

½ is a single term. 1÷2 is 2 terms. Terms are separated by operators (division in this case) and joined by grouping symbols (fraction bars, brackets).

1÷½=2

1÷1÷2=½ (must be done left to right)

Thus 1÷2 and ½ aren't the same thing (they are equal in simple cases, but not the same thing), but ½ and (1÷2) are the same thing.