6÷2(1+2) = ? Silly Viral Math Problems
I see these “viral math problems” a lot on the internet. In this one, people argue as to whether the answer is 1 or 9 based on which order of operations is correct.
To me, the argument is a silly one. The way it is written is simply confusing. And the attention is more about debating rules than about the mathematics itself.
Written either 6÷[2(1+2)] or (6÷2)(1+2) or with a large division sign is more proper.
The usual operations on real numbers are binary meaning that expressions are only proper if written as one number (or grouped expression) operated on one other number (or grouped expression). If you don’t have this you need to use symbols to group things or else it is confusing. So the issue is not in the answer but how it is written.
I think the real lesson here is that mathematics is a human activity. Central to that activity is communication. We shouldn’t be trying to confuse anyone by the way we write mathematics, we should be doing the opposite.
Digger deeper, I would like to point out that universal truths do not exist even in arithmetic. A synthetic system (set of man-made rules) must be applied to formulate and solve problems in mathematics. Consequently, answers depend on which system is evoked. If we want consistent answers we need to agree upon a set system. My boy Kurt Gödel taught me that.
