Hello, newbie needs help.

• August 21st 2006, 03:58 PM
barbienut75
Hello, newbie needs help.
29- { 5+3 [ 8 x (10 - 8 ) ] -50 } :eek:

I do not understand this. This is not offical homework, but I don't want to get behind. Also what do these { } mean
• August 21st 2006, 04:07 PM
Jameson
They are just another way of expressing paranthesis.

Something written like this doesn't look very good.

$(5+(((2*3)-1)+7^3)-1)$ Woah!

So we use other kind of brackets sometimes.

You have:{ 5+3 [ 8 x (10 - 8 ) ] -50 }

Use PEMDAS or order of operations

1. ${5+3[8 \times (10-8) ] -50}$
2. ${5+3[8 \times (2)] -50}$
3. ${5+3[16]-50$
4. ${5+48-50}$
5. $3$ There's your answer! :)
• August 21st 2006, 04:17 PM
barbienut75
29-{ 5+3 [ 8 x (10 - 8 ) ] -50 }
• August 21st 2006, 04:52 PM
Jameson
Ooops! Didn't see that. Then it's 29-3=26
• August 21st 2006, 05:08 PM
Quick
I would just like to point out Jameson, that you can wright brackets with Latex:

$\{ 5+3 [ 8 x (10 - 8 ) ] -50 \}$
• August 21st 2006, 06:28 PM
ThePerfectHacker
I my self prefer to use the singe parantheses, ( )
The other [ ] can be confused with greatest integer function.
And never try to use { } because it deals with sets which are divine.
• August 21st 2006, 06:52 PM
Quick
Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePerfectHacker
I my self prefer to use the singe parantheses, ( )
The other [ ] can be confused with greatest integer function.
And never try to use { } because it deals with sets which are divine.

Of course, considering barbienut doesn't know greatest integers and divine sets (neither do I for that matter) I don't think it's really relevant what you think :eek:

although, I personally agree with you. I think it's sort of fun (although I don't think anyone else agrees with my) to figure out which paranthesis pair up. I've also become good at it by using excel.
• August 22nd 2006, 07:05 PM
Soroban
Hello, barbienut75!

I have questions about what you wrote . . .

. . . . . . . .
I assume this is "times"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\downarrow$
. . . 29 - { 5 + 3 [ 8 x (10 - 8 ) ] - 50 }
. . . . . . . . . . . $\uparrow$
. . . . . . .
but is this also "times"?

If so, I can explain the procedure.

We have: . $29 - \bigg(5 \:+ \:3\cdot[8\cdot\underbrace{(10 - 8)}] \:- \:50\bigg)$
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\downarrow$
. . . . . . $= \;29 \,- \,\bigg(5 \;\;\;+ \;\;\;3\cdot\underbrace{[8\cdot2]} \;\;- \;\;50 \bigg)$
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\downarrow$
. . . . . . $= \;29 \:- \:\bigg(5 \quad+ \quad\underbrace{3\cdot16}\quad- \quad 50\bigg)$
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\downarrow$
. . . . . . $= \;29 \:- \:\underbrace{\bigg(5 \quad + \quad\;\;48\quad\;\; - \quad50\bigg)}$
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\downarrow$
. . . . . . $= \qquad\underbrace{29 \qquad\, - \,\qquad 3}$
. . . . . . $= \;\qquad\qquad\;\;\boxed{26}$