Order of operations: PEMDAS or GEMA?

[Jessweeee♪]

PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction
GEMA: Grouping, Exponents, Multiplication, Division

Personally, I prefer GEMA. I think GEMA is more clear about what to do in this situation:

[Pike]

I think I just sort of... remembered the order xD

[Quindiana Jones]

I learned BODMAS: Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. So that calculation goes thus:

1. (1+2) = 3.
2. 6/2 = 3.
3. 3 x 3 = 9.

Though multiplication and division are of equal precedence, and can be switched around to your heart's content. Using BOMDAS (which doesn't sound as cool), the answer is 1. Silly mathematics.

[Jessweeee♪]

See the way I see it, you do Multiplication and Division and then Addition and Subtraction left to right. A horizontal divider is just another type of Grouping. A division sign instead of a horizontal divider means no grouping, right?

[Laddy]

NERDS

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Working left to right (Which is how I was taught), I find the same results with PEDMAS or GEMA.



With PEDMAS, after parenthesis, I'm left with 6/2x3. Then 3x3, then 9.

With GEMA, it becomes 3(3)...and then, well, 9.

I don't know if my methods are the most correct, but they keep my answer consistent.

[Jinx]

I only ever learned PEMDAS, and so, folks, you will have to Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

[Shlup]

When I was a math teacher I taught PEMDAS. We made pretty posters!

[Tigmafuzz]

The reason PENDAS is generally more acepted in American schools is because it's actually PE(MD)(AS), where the multiplication and division are equal in importance, as are addition and subtraction. After going through the equation and solving the parentheses and exponents, you solve the multiplication and division as you go through the equation from left to right, and then do the same with addition and subtraction. But I usually just used a crapload of parentheses to make sure everything was done in the order I wanted it to be.

[Peegee]

Deceptive troll?

The answer is nine.

[NorthernChaosGod]

PEMDAS.

[Loony BoB]

I was taught PEMDAS or PEDMAS or whatever, but I never liked it that much because it's very misleading. PEMA or GEMA sounds a bit better. I dunno. I'm kind of glad I don't have to do math equations that require that sort of thing in my day-to-day job. Although I never had any problem with maths, so I guess when I need to remember how things work, I just... do.

[Pheesh]

I used to spend maths writing "boobs" on my calculator.

[Loony BoB]

It was all about the 5318008

[NorthernChaosGod]

I can actually just write boobs or boobies on my calculator. TI-84+ Silver ftw.