What math operation order do you use? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago by TotallyWorthLife@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I have seen several people saying the order operation is

Brackets/Parenthesis
Orders (roots and powers)
Divisions
Multiplications
Subtractions
Additions

But I was taught it as

Brackets/Parenthesis
Roots and powers, left to right (independently of the exact operation)
Divisions and multiplications, left to right (independently of the exact operation)
Subtractions and additions, left to right (independently of the exact operation)

So, what order were you taught and/or use today?

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[-] otter@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is how we remember it as either BEDMAS or PEMDAS, but not PEDMAS or BEMDAS. The order of M and D are tied to whether we use the term brackets or parentheses. BEMDAS sounds very wrong to me

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 2 points 1 week ago

Why? Why would this be important?

[-] otter@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's not important, just an observation of spoken language. Similar to the order of adjectives or how there's usually a "correct" sounding way to list two names.

If anything, it might explain why people are tied to a particular order of multiplication and division

https://englishan.com/order-of-adjectives/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonaesthetics

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 2 points 1 week ago

FWIW they all sound equally ok to me. I never learned any of these acronyms, tho I've come across them on occasion, and if someone had presented any of the 4 as THE acronym for this I'd have believed them.

[-] otter@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

I think because I read about this riddle in the past, I might have built up some associations myself. So maybe there's actually nothing there 😄

this post was submitted on 14 May 2026

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