Questionable Questing

Yeah, I also got 10. Ya gotta PEMDAS that shit. Parenthesis, Exponent, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract.
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How the hell did you get 58?

You resolve inside the parentheses first with PEMDAS, but all thats inside the parentheses is 3. So its really 6^2 ÷ 2 × 3 + 4. 36 divided by 2 times 3 plus 4. Division and Multiplication are equal in priority, thus its 18 times 3, not 36 divided by 6.

It...seems you are correct. After checking the math (using a calculator), it looks as though 58 is, in fact, the solution.
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Well, I've never made it a secret that I suck at math.

That particular problem is meant to trip people up to be fair heh. The dumb bit was the dude's response to said problem xD

It looks like maybe he's being deliberately obtuse about how the multiplication of 2 and 3 isn't actually written in? But then he went off and gave an example that doesn't fit at all.

If something's not written into an equation, it's not part of that equation. This seems simple to me.

Multiplication cannot simply be implied. No indicator for it = It does not happen.

Huh. Not seeing what's the issue. Saw it, reached 58 in a few seconds. The (3) is just meant to trip you up, but you simply replace it with x 3 in your mind.

I don't even want to know what the person was smoking when they wrote that comment.

They were smoking the idea that adding functions to an equation when they're not there should never be required. It's about as valid as dropping verbs.

I do not think that division comes before multiplication. So there are two answers depending on what route you go by solving it.
It's true, there is no "=", but I believe that the problem lies in the fact that we do not know whether to youse multiplication or divisions first.
Depending on what we chose, we get either 10 or 58.

No, Division and Multiplication are equal in priority. Which means you solve them left to right. Division comes before Multiplication whenever it shows up to the left of Multiplication.

We definitely know to use division first in this instance lol, thats the whole point of the math problem, to trick you into getting 10. 58 is the only correct answer.

Cambrian, where is the multiplication symbol?

Megaolix already explained that above Valette. When you place a number next to a parentheses, you must multiple it with whatever is within the parentheses. That's why 2(3+5) for instance, would equal 16. And that's why 2(3) is really 2x3.

The equation is meant to trip you up. Here's an article that explains it further: http://www.madmath.com/2013/10/are-parentheses-multiplication.html

No, Megaolix mentioned a way to alter the equation. There is a symbol for multiplication: That is not it.

It is an accepted error. A sentence lacking a key verb. Mathematics should not be so sloppy, and mathematicians should not accept such sloppiness.

Not really? It's the syntax. There is no case where X(Y) means anything other than X*Y. You can't read X(Y) and get X/Y or X+Y or X-Y or X^Y.

Errr... Valette, I did not. I simply meant that 2(3) and 2 x 3 is the same. Just that if you see it as 2 in your head, it may be easier to read.

(X*Y) would be correct. X(Y) is lazy and sloppy.

And actually, the use of X to represent values while it's already a basic mathematical symbol should stop. Q is a perfectly fine arbitrary letter. Use that instead.

I'm... not even sure where that comment about letters come from.

X(Y) is kind of the opposite of lazy, though? X*Y takes less work to write out.

I really don't see the issue, there's no ambiguity in what it could possibly mean to have a number next to the outside of a pair of parentheses. In every case, it means you multiply the number by what's inside the parentheses.

The reply above yours by a minute, which I saw and missed your reply for.

(X*Y) would not be correct, because the whole point of this math problem is to learn not to immediately use parentheses first for everything and to divide before multiplying, while (X*Y) forces the multiplication first.

As has been said, the point of the math problem is to trip most people up, so that they can then learn from their mistake. 2(3) is a perfectly valid way to write out 2*3 and it always has been.