Incorrectly determining order of operations is very common in calculators. When using an unfamiliar calculator, I always do a simple test of 1+2*3 so I know what I am dealing with.
Mathematicians have an entirely coherent and logical language with which they can express their ideas to other people who understand the language. That is the only factor in it. If people don't understand the language, they can either learn it or sit there whining about it being too complicated whilst they sit there flipping burgers for a living.
Incorrectly determining order of operations is very common in calculators. When using an unfamiliar calculator, I always do a simple test of 1+2*3 so I know what I am dealing with.
Because the windows calculator executes the operators as you enter them, in the order that you give it, because it thinks you are old enough to know what you are doing.
Here's another one i saw on Facebook:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0 =?
1,827,315 people answered Zero.
1,317,072 people answered 14.
378,602 people answered 16.
76,708 people answered 17.
I answered 16 because i know you multiply the 1 and the 0, then add the rest up to 16. Right?
Agreed. Though I won't be surprised if some companies start to use this in prices ("Only 1000+1000*0 dollars!")fireballs619 said:The whole thing is still quite pointless, if you ask me.
Agreed. Though I won't be surprised if some companies start to use this in prices ("Only 1000+1000*0 dollars!")
Whilst it may be an odd thing to return two different results based on the view, their logic behind it is entirely sound. The basic view looks like a simple calculator so they emulate that behaviour (1 + 2 * 3 = 9) otherwise it would confuse the user.Any thoughts on the windows calculator giving different results based on whether or not you use it in standard versus scientific view?
No, you misunderstood me here. When I said the mathematical language, I was talking about the language of symbols (+²√∑∂ etc) and expressions used to write equations rather than the words (like trivial used as the example) to explain things.Correction: The mathematical language is far from coherent and logical by itself. You can do a lot of evil there, by not following some basic conventions. What is pretty much legal mathematical text, can be impossible to understand correctly.
Take for example the popular word "trivial". In everyday language, you use trivial like it suits you, and might think it is the same in mathematical texts. But that is wrong. In mathematics, trivial is a very strictly defined attribute. It means that something is expressed already by the definition of something else. Contrary to what some math professors like to think, trivial is not meaning "Something so easily proven, that it is left to the student, I have no time for this"
Whilst it may be an odd thing to return two different results based on the view, their logic behind it is entirely sound. The basic view looks like a simple calculator so they emulate that behaviour (1 + 2 * 3 = 9) otherwise it would confuse the user.
Similarly the scientific view emulates the behaviour of a scientific calculator with proper precedence (1 + 2 * 3 = 7).
This is a bit confusing returning a different answer based on the view, but then so would be getting the simple calculator to return 7. Personally I agree with their choice as everyone who wants a calculator to return 7 knows that most simple calculators do not do this and will perform a quick check like 1+2*3 to know what they are working with.
Microsoft have tried to go down the route of least confusion (which is a very good paradigm to work to). Personally I think they made the correct decision and was i bit surprised to find that the iPhone calculator app returned 7, but again can see why it does.