the caterpillar, clock and flower puzzle

[heronviewer]

An assumption ! Several needed to solve this.

 

[MikeG.]

Yeah, but that's just a straight forward error. 6 + 4 x 5 is 26.

 

[heronviewer]

Yes, you are right !

 

[Trevanion]

I didn't realise how bad the Coronamadness was setting in until I looked at this thread :shock:

 

[boardgamer]

15

 

[heronviewer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w_GLSChzrg

 

[D_W]

Yeah, but that's just a straight forward error. 6 + 4 x 5 is 26.

The order of operations that you're using isn't standard. There is no standard, it has to be defined before you do the problem.

In my experience, teachers don't do well with things like this, either - they insist one or another is correct, but in the real world, the order of operations is defined first and then the problem completed.

 

[MikeG.]

Yeah, but that's just a straight forward error. 6 + 4 x 5 is 26.

The order of operations that you're using isn't standard. There is no standard.......

Sorry, but you're just wrong. BODMAS.Wiki.

 

[D_W]

From a website called "life skills".

I'll have to tell the programmers from some of our software packages that they have no clue what they're doing and that they're wrong, even though they provide order of operations information with our software (which is mathematically based).

Anywhere in the practical world, the intro either to an exam or problem standing alone like that would say "assume basic order of operations". But programming in reality would go beyond that and bracket operations for logical clarity.

But arguing about stuff like this is fodder for pikers.

 

[Duncan A]

Time to put an end to this - it HAS to be 42.
No assumptions required!
Duncan

 

[Bm101]

Well it is in the end.
Might take a while to compute that one properly mind.
Should we show working?
:shock:

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Are we ready for that gin and tonic yet?

 

[MikeG.]

From a website called "life skills".

:roll: Jesus. OK, here it is from one of the teacher resource websites, linked to KS 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum. In other words, this is what is taught to primary school kids. You really ought not to have forgotten it. And did you just ignore the Wiki link?

Anywhere in the practical world, the intro either to an exam or problem standing alone like that would say "assume basic order of operations". But programming in reality would go beyond that and bracket operations for logical clarity........

This IS the basic order of operations. Sure, if you want to work to a different order of operations in anything you do, you are of course welcome to state that you are working to something other than the default. Your programmers aren't wrong if they state something else other than the standard. However, if they make no such statement, then the default applies, and the default is BODMAS (BIDMAS in some countries). Here's a suggestion: don't argue any more.........you're making a fool of yourself.

 

[RobinBHM]

As far as I understand, BODMAS is the correct method, Ive never heard otherwise

 

[MikeG.]

...........should we show working?
:shock:

No, you show your towel. It's the mice who should show their working.