40+40x0+1 ?

The reason people can't find the right answer is that they are trying to skip steps because we are so used to calculators. If you write it in steps, it is easy to see what the answer is:

Q: 40 + 40 x 0 + 1 =?

We use BODMAS, so...

Step 1: Are there any Brackets? NO
Step 2: Are there any Orders? NO
Step 3: Are there any D*ivisions? NO

STEP 4: Are there any Multiplications? YES

Step 5: So do the Multiplication, and rewrite the question:

The x sign has two numbers either side of it, so they are the ones you use.

40x0=0

Step 6: Rewrite: 40 + 0 + 1=?

Step 7: Are there any more Multiplications? NO

Step 8: Are there any Additions? YES

Step 9: So do the first Addition and rewrite the question:

The first + sign has two numbers either side of it, so they are the ones you use.

40+0=40

Step 10: Rewrite: 40 + 1=?

Step 11: Are there any more Additions? YES

Step 12: So do the next Addition and rewrite the question:

The + sign has two numbers either side of it, so use them.

40 + 1=41

Step 13: Are there any more Additions? NO

Step 14: Are there any Subtractions? NO

Therefore your answer was reached at Step 12 and is 41.

41. B. Never heard of BODMAS but it seems to be a mnemonic for the rules that have always applied.

Your friend surely isn't a mathematician if she think everything divided by zero is 1.

Oh and could someone please explain the 40 + 40/0 +1 to me?

My mathematician friend says it's 42, as anything divided by zero is 1, but SURELY that's not right and she's crazy mistaken?

This thread has really really blown my mind in a fantastic brain-using way.

Can we ask for this to go in Classics?

Congratulations PYBN, you may consider yourself promoted to House Maths Whizz.

Endo - oh dear, this was a great revelation was it... and not 'always' true anyway.

Had the same disagreement with my DP, I thought it was 41, he is the maths whizz of this house and says the answer is 1.

you always multiply first.The answer is 41.

I saw this morning that my husband has answered this on Facebook and I am relieved to note he got it right.

I saw a copy and pasted status on there the other day which said something like "if you add your age to the year that you were born you always come up with 2011 - how weird!" Well yes.

I'm not, really. I mean, people are still applying the logic they've remembered, but they have forgotten, or weren't paying attention when the 'rules' were taught. Like me, they might remember that you solve what's in the brackets first, but otherwise they approach it sequentially from left to right like a sentence, or like a set of verbal instructions. An important aspect that I'd forgotten, if i ever knew it, was that you only multiply numbers immediately either side of the times symbol. Now I've realised how to crack the code, thanks to this thread, I can do it!

Quite worried about the number of people on here, and on Facebook, who've answered 1 to this.

schnitzelvoncrumm

Not met carinal numbers yet, so will have to believe you on that.
However, surely if you had infinite carinals it wouldn't necessarily mean infinity on each side?

Anyway, I will shut the fuck up and wait till next year when number theory comes up.

For iPad users, just download Wolfram Alpha, it'll do any calculation you could possibly want, and it's free, and you can have it on your phone and on your computer. I have it on all my devices, and never use anything else. There are loads of free calculator progs for iPads, none of which would ignore the x0 or come up with 1 as the answer to the first question.

Gosh, schnitzel, you're not involved in number theory are you?

Actually, when you're doing arithmetic with infinite cardinal numbers, you can (and must) use equals signs. I agree that saying something "equals infinity" is vague, but you do have equations with infinite cardinals on both sides.

I didn't think I'd ever need an aleph on mumsnet (that's when you don't just use greek letters for your algebra but borrow a hebrew one!) but here's the link to the wiki page on cardinal numbers for those interested: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_number

- See, I got that, I is clever afterall

Must be time for maths jokes. Here's my old favourite:

There are 10 types of people in the world.
Those who understand binary and those who don't.

Catch up, dear !

I am back from parents' evening. And had .
Apparently DS1 (8) is on the financial team for their class enterprise and has informed the packaging team (for their baked goods) that they cannot have tissue paper to wrap their biscuits in as 'it is too expensive and our profit would only [sic!] be 85%' - moneygrabbing little sod

So, we've had infinity, Pi(e), Fibonacci numbers (wtf?) - this must be the Cleverest thread on MN. Ever.

saying something is infinite is different to saying it equals infinity.

So, like you say, there are infinitley many primes. But you can't say the amount of prime numbers equals infinity.

You can only ever say there are an infinite amount of things or that a certain thing tends to infinity, not that it is infinity.

B = 41

Schnitzel, my brother explained that to me; it really is cool! I love the idea that there are infinitely many infinities ........

Philosophers say that you can't have an infinite regression, but I don't really see why you can't. I think it's the same sort of thing, leads you to places where you need greater expertise than the layman usually has.

Yes but... you can say there are 'infinitely many natural numbers' but I'm not sure you can technically say 'the number of natural numbers equals infinity' because infinity is Not a Number (as your point 7 helps demonstrate)