Originally Posted by Alan
OK - as a maths teacher myself, I have read this thread with much interest.
Please allow me these comments - and these are my personal opinions based on experience - so, I am not saying that the following comments are 'globally acceptable' ones.
Fourthly, to relate to comments made on this thread, please believe me on this - 'YOU MUST DO MATHS IN THE RIGHT ORDER OTHERWISE IT WILL BE WRONG' NO - I'm sorry, this is not correct! Comments like this (remember, in my opinion,) eminate from BAD maths teachers. Mathematics is not about the 'what' - it is about the 'HOW!'
When you understand HOW things work in mathematics, it does not matter in what order you calculate - IN FACT - if you understand the 'how' you have more or less done the calculation anyway.
I admit that, however, ONLY SOME of the time, the order is important - but only in a 'logical'sense.
Al.
Hi Sir:
Think you mind find this interesting:
http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/v...perations.html
Based from the problem that:
"It seems that each student interpreted the problem differently, resulting in two different answers.
Student 1 performed the operation of addition first, then multiplication; whereas
student 2 performed multiplication first, then addition.
When performing arithmetic operations there can be only one correct answer. We need a set of rules in order to avoid this kind of confusion. Mathematicians have devised a standard order of operations for calculations involving more than one arithmetic operation."
---------
Therefore, if not properly done and rules were not followed, there will be different answers given to a problem.
Also it has been said that:
"Mathematics is the exact science of mathematical reasoning and related aspects of mathematical practice.
Math has the advantage of being irrefutable."
