Poll: Solve a simple math problem

[DSK-]

15? Fuck if I know. My maths ability is terrible.

 

[novixz]

The first thing they teach you when multiplying is anything multiplied by 0 will ultimately be 0. That's pretty simple.

Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication/Division
Addition/Subtraction

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0)
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1
14.

(more proof: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1-1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1*0 )

It saddens me that these people can vote.

I forgot about that method, I was just keeping it on a simple level because I thought it was trying to trick us. Also, try not to be a condescending deuce when you correct people. Plus, it was never in parentheses.

 

[Sikratua]

It's multiplied by 0, so I'm pretty sure it's 0.

EDIT: People are arguing about infinity. Infinity isn't a number, it's term. You can't add, subtract, divide, or walk on a beach with infinity. It isn't numerical.

Sure you can. I'm almost certain that there's a math major trying to "pay her way through college" as a stripper with the name "Infinity" somewhere. Law of Averages, you know. And, if you meet her, you can probably get her to add you to her schedulue. But, it will subtract from your finances.

(1+1)+(1+1)+(1+1)+(1+1)+(1+1)-(1+1)+(1+1)+(1+1)+(1*0)=14

It all depends on where you put the brackets.

You would have had a decent point, had you put "12" as the answer for this one.

2+2=4
4+2=6
6+2=8
8+2=10
10-2=8
8+2=10
10+2=12

Nice math botch, kid.

That said, there is no "depends on where you put the brackets," because there are no brackets. That's not something that people are just allowed to overlook. There are specific rules in mathematics for problems that don't have brackets. That's actually the basis for this particular problem. How many people actually know them?

 

[GoodGodItsAnOxymoron]

If you meant for that divide sign to be a multiplication, it's sixteen. Otherwise, it's undefined.

EDIT: Wait a second, you snuck a minus sign in there, making it fourteen.

The * sign means multiply, plus why would it be 14?? anything multiplied by 0 equals 0

 

[Sikratua]

If you meant for that divide sign to be a multiplication, it's sixteen. Otherwise, it's undefined.

EDIT: Wait a second, you snuck a minus sign in there, making it fourteen.

The * sign means multiply, plus why would it be 14?? anything multiplied by 0 equals 0

Basic math rule. Unless there are parentheses, all multiplication and division is done BEFORE any addition or subtraction. The absence of parentheses meas that the last part, being 1*0, is done before the rest of the problem. So, the end of the problem is now +0.

 

[new_age_reject]

I don't understand how it's fourteen, you#'re adding up all the ones, taking away that one and then multiplying it by zero. If you multiply anything by zero you get zero.

 

[Christopher Parker]

Read the post from five mins above you (and the edited OP). Or, look up BODMAS on wikipedia. Or, if you're too lazy, you perform the multiplication first (1*0, which is 0), then add that to the rest. If everything before the *0 was in parentheses, then yes, it'd be 0, but because it isn't, it's 14.

 

[Xero Scythe]

Divided by 0? I thought it was multiplied by 0. Dividing by 0 would get you undefined, even if you use the correct order of operations.

Edit: A lot of people are quoting me and telling me it wouldn't be infinity, it would be undefined. I s'pose I'll go with that, I'm no math expert.

I was always taught it was both. Imagine it on a numberline and you'll understand. 5/6 is smaller than 5/3, because the denominator (The 6 and 3, respectively) was smaller in the second fraction. Now, as the denominator gets closer to zero, the bigger the actual final answer will be. 1/2 becomes .5, but 1/.5 is 2, and so the numbers get bigger and bigger...

But then you reach zero. Because zero is the smallest number there is (considering negative numbers work in basically the same way as their absolute value counterparts), the final product stretches on into infinity, which humans cannot count to. Hell, a human will die before reaching one billion! Because of this, we use the zero with a line through it, the sign for undefined/divide by zero, clear mathmatical language saying "Whoever made this problem really fucked up."

 

[Malrock]

Were you meaning divide when you wrote *? * = multiply in computing.

EDIT: NVM re-read the OP update.

Was going say...you cant divide by Zero. =P

 

[thom_cat_]

I don't understand how it's fourteen, you#'re adding up all the ones, taking away that one and then multiplying it by zero. If you multiply anything by zero you get zero.

The first thing they teach you when multiplying is anything multiplied by 0 will ultimately be 0. That's pretty simple.

Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication/Division
Addition/Subtraction

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+(1*0)
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1
14.

(more proof: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1-1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1%2B1*0 )

It saddens me that these people can vote.

I forgot about that method, I was just keeping it on a simple level because I thought it was trying to trick us. Also, try not to be a condescending deuce when you correct people. Plus, it was never in parentheses.

It doesn't matter what method you use, it will always be 14. There is only one negative one in the equation, and there is only one number being multiplied by zero as there are no parenthesis' multiplying groups.
The parenthesis' I add are purely to show the one number that is being multiplied.

This is basic maths, I can understand if people miss the negative 1, but thinking that if there is a *0 in an equation this makes it all =0 is totally wrong, completely and entirely.

 

[madwarper]

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?.

That's the question.

The answer is 0?

No. The only Correct answer is 14. All other answers are wrong.

Following the basic order of operations infers that it should be written like this:

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+1)*0

You might want to brush up on the Order of Operations [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations], because just about everything is Wrong with that step.

 

[Madara XIII]

Parentheses, Exponent , Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction last.

So you almost had me until I used the right order.
So Multiplying 1 by 0 first then adding the rest of the ones and finally subtracting that 1 would indeed result in 14.

You got the right answer... But, I'm curious as to why you say "finally subtracted".

You do know, that [Multiplication and Division] and [Addition and Subtraction] are each synonymous with the other?

Once, you were done with the multiplication, everything could have been added up from left to right.

Yeah I am aware that they are, but I'm a bit OCD when it comes to math and if I don't do it in the exact order I feel as though I've done it wrong

 

[Malrock]

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?.

That's the question.

The answer is 0?

No. The only Correct answer is 14. All other answers are wrong.

Following the basic order of operations infers that it should be written like this:

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1+1)*0

You might want to brush up on the Order of Operations [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations], because just about everything is Wrong with that step.

I know. The wife though it would be ammusing to edit my post...... I am a maths teacher.

The answer can only be 14.

She has been punished lol...

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

PEMDAS, 1*0 goes first, then you finish the adding and subtraction.

 

[madwarper]

Yeah I am aware that they are, but I'm a bit OCD when it comes to math and if I don't do it in the exact order I feel as though I've done it wrong

True, but as you can see in the I post I quoted above, which has been edited, that people who strictly think Addition then Subtraction tend to add brackets to everything beyond the minus/negative sign.

 

[meow]

yeah its not possible to divide by 0 just make 0 the denominator of a fraction then you have 3 zeros if 3 is the demoninator it just doesnt work you can't Have 3 zeros its nothing.

 

[Wrists]

I said 15, but I seemed to miscount the number of plus ones. Oh well, I understand the theory, in fact it's impossible not to understand the theory, bloody eyes have let me down again.

 

[WOPR]

The Question is:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?

In order to solve this we shall use:

Spoiler: BODMAS

Brackets
Operation
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtracktion

Spoiler: One was of doing it, with pretty colours.

The question: 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?
contains Neither Brackets, Operation or Division.

but it does contain Multiplication, Addition and subtraction.
BODMAS give us the order, so we start with the multiplication.

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?

the part highlighted in red is only part of the sum effected by the multiplication.

1*0 = 0.

this leaves us with

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+0=?

Now, thanks to BODMAS we deal with the addition.

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+0=?

The blue is what is effected my addition.

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 = 15

this leaves us with 15-1+0 = ?

Now, lastly, we have subtraction

15-1+0=?

We can ignoor the "0" leaving us with:

15-1=?

And when we work this out we get 14.

Spoiler: Another way of doing it, also with colours

The Question:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1*0=?

What we can do, using bodmas, is re-arrange it to look like.

1*0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1=?

This way we can work from left to right and still follow BODMAS

Multiplication first:

1*0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1=?

1*0 = 0

Leaving us with:

0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1=?

Next is addition.

0+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1=?

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=15

Leaving us with:

0+15-1=?

Lastly, and ignoring the 0, cause it's 0. we have

15-1=?

This gives us 14.

Enjoy. :3
​

"BODMAS" weird I've never heard is spelled like that before, here it's PEMDAS (pronounced PEM-DOS)

Parenthesis
Exponent
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

 

[silversnake4133]

Why must fellow members create these threads? What purpose do they honestly serve? When they aren't troll threads they start flame wars between people of different views. If you seriously created a "Solve this problem" thread to help you with a problem then it's fine. A few people will answer and you can decide on the solution that's most common and go from there. But if you only created it for the sheer chance grab of getting pageviews and a few forum badges, congratulations, collect your spoils and run home.

I can see that there are plenty of answers to multistep problems like these, but I really don't think that some people calling other people dumb or incompetent in mathematics just because they came up with a different answer is appropriate or necessary. Everyone is different, the sooner we can recognize that as a species, the better.

 

[davros3000]

there are no brackets in the equation so its 0.

all the breakdowns of the calculation are incorrect. there is no separation of calculation so it isn't 0*1, but nought times the sum up until this point. a minus or multiply symbol doesn't stop a calculation.

Numpty.