So what's the answer...yes, we all know the "Order of Operations"

 

Haha, is that what they did to crash HAL and the computer from the movie WarGames?

 

2. Two is the answer.

 

this thread is EVERYWHERE

 

The answer is 2.

48/2(9+3)=
48/(18+6)=
48/24=
2

Since there's neither a space, or any other indication, it's left to decipher that the ( )'s modify the denominator only (or rather the denominator modifies the ()'s). Distribute, add, divide. Yes this could answer 288, but not the way it's written. If the author intended it to equal 288 then they did a terrible job of writing the equation.

 

but i think the whole ordeal is that it's typed into 4 different calculators the same exact way, yet comes out with different answers.
At any rate, I would have put an extra pair of parenthesis around the denominator if 2 was the answer I needed.

 

with the srs biz out of the way, I will respond with "42"

 

well it depends. in programming there's a different precedence order, so being a programmer i'm gonna go with "288."

 

^ and thats the issue. Progamming != Math necessarily. If you do the math, it's 2. If you plug it in somewhere, depending on their programming you would get either

 

Any suggestion other than 2 is just ridiculous! That is written out properly as a mathematical equation. Whoever is responsible for the results of those calculators should be fired, then shot. Math is a beautiful thing and it works every time, people on the other hand...