What is the correct result?

[Matt Agajanian]

(04-22-2024 08:41 PM)carey Wrote:  

(04-22-2024 07:04 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  So, is this to say MatLab and Numpy are the final word on this conundrum?

I don’t think there is a “conundrum”, nor a “final word.” Matlab and Numpy are very popular scientific and engineering tools (though there are others).

While it might sound convenient to have an international standard for all operator precedences and implied multiplications, analogous to the international standard (S.I) for units, note that even for units, for which the case for standardization is even more compelling, there exist many fields and applications that don’t subscribe to the S.I. system (e.g., mass of diamonds in carets).

In my opinion, we must learn to live with (and maybe even value, as in “vive la différence”) variety in matters such as operator precedence and implied multiplication as these conventions are created by people, while in understanding nature (e.g., in physics), simplicity is the desired goal. But when in doubt, use PEMDAS!

In addition, when in doubt, write the expression in a manner which it’s clearly written so as to prevent ambiguity.