Finding Online PEMDAS Calculators

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of rewriting an equation in accordance with PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction). Participants explore the implications of PEMDAS on the arrangement of terms in an equation, the purpose of such rearrangement, and the relevance of online calculators for this task.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to rewrite an equation according to PEMDAS but does not clarify the intended outcome or purpose.
  • Another participant questions the need for rewriting in terms of PEMDAS and suggests that the original goal may be related to graphing the equation instead.
  • There is a discussion about the misunderstanding of PEMDAS, with one participant asserting that changing the order of terms is unrelated to the order of operations defined by PEMDAS.
  • A later reply introduces the concept of lexicographic order as an alternative way to arrange terms, referencing the Buchberger algorithm and suggesting that implementing such an order could be simpler than using an online calculator.
  • Participants discuss the equivalence of different equations under the rules of PEMDAS, noting that the commutative property of addition allows for rearranging terms without changing the equation's meaning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the purpose of rewriting the equation or the relevance of PEMDAS to the task. There are competing views on how to approach the arrangement of terms and the utility of online calculators.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express confusion regarding the distinction between rearranging terms and applying PEMDAS, indicating a need for clearer definitions and understanding of the concepts involved.

pairofstrings
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TL;DR
Online app for arranging terms with P.E.M.D.A.S.
Hello. I have an equation that looks like following:

1621786908244.png


I want to re-write the terms of the above equation adhering to PEMDAS.
I have seen the web but I could find none.

Thanks.
 
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Why? What do you mean when you say you want to "rewrite the terms" of this equation?
For what purpose?
What does PEMDAS have to do with what you're trying to do?

In two other threads you asked about this same equation:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...ation-for-the-same-curve.1001592/post-6478050
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/y-for-heart-curve.996738/post-6436282

In those posts you seemed to want to graph this equation, but were stumped by a much simpler equation of x + y + xy = 1.
 
Back in January, you wrote this:
pairofstrings said:
The graph of the equation 1 = x + y is easy to draw. It says 'x' is 1 and 'y' is 1.
Therefore, I can plot the point at x = 1 and y = 1.
If you meant the point with coordinates (1, 1) -- i.e., x = 1 and y = 1, then no, that point is not on the line x + y = 1. If x = 1, then y = 0, and if y = 1, then x = 0, so the points (1, 0) and (0, 1) are on this graph, but it was not at all clear that this might have been what you meant.

If your goal is to graph the heart equation an online PEMDAS calculator is not what you need, but the graphing capabilities of wolframalpha (wolframalpha.com) could do it.
 
pairofstrings said:
Summary:: Online app for arranging terms with P.E.M.D.A.S.

I have an equation that looks like following:

1621786908244-png.png


I want to re-write the terms of the above equation adhering to PEMDAS.
Can you show us what you want the output to look like? That would help us to understand what you are looking for. Do you mean putting parenthesis around each term and moving the non-exponential terms to the end of the multiplication in each term?
 
Mark44 said:
What do you mean when you say you want to "rewrite the terms" of this equation?
I am sorry. It is my mistake. I wanted to say "rearrange the terms".

Mark44 said:
..but it was not at all clear that this might have been what you meant.
Sorry about that.

berkeman said:
Can you show us what you want the output to look like?
I want the equation that has all its terms conforming to PEMDAS.

1621797086180.png


In the above equation I think that after x6 I should consider y6 then 3x4y2 then 3x2y4 then 3y4 then x2y3 then 3x4 then 6x2y2 then 3y4 then 3y2.
I am considering this order of terms to manipulate x6 with all the other terms until I get a curve.
 
Last edited:
pairofstrings said:
It is my mistake. I wanted to say "rearrange the terms".

pairofstrings said:
I want the equation that has all its terms conforming to PEMDAS.

1621797086180-png.png


In the above equation I think that after x6 I should consider y6 then 3x4y2 then 3x2y4 then 3y4 then x2y3 then 3x4 then 6x2y2 then 3y4 then 3y2.
I am considering this order of terms to manipulate x6 with all the other terms until I get a curve.
Changing the order of the terms makes absolutely no sense, and is completely unrelated to what PEMDAS is about. Looking at two of the terms, ##x^2 + 3x^4y^2##, what PEMDAS says are these steps, in this order:
  1. the exponent operations should be performed
  2. the multiplications should then be performed; i.e. ##3## times ##x^4## times ##y^2##
  3. the addition should be performed
What PEMDAS conveys is the order in which different types of operations should be performed. For an expression such as a + b + c, the two additions are at the same level, so it makes no difference whether you add a + b first, or b + c first.

I think you have an incorrect idea about what PEMDAS is about.
 
pairofstrings said:
In the above equation I think that after x6 I should consider y6 then 3x4y2 then 3x2y4 then 3y4 then x2y3 then 3x4 then 6x2y2 then 3y4 then 3y2.

This is called a lexicographic order, in that case, exponents before variable names. It is usually the other way around. The Buchberger algorithm uses lexicographic ordering on multinomials to compute Gröbner bases, and I think Mathematica has an implementation. So this is a way to achieve what you are looking for.

However, ...
... it is a cannon shooting sparrows. It is probably far easier to implement a lexicographic ordering by yourself in a language of your choice. It is simple string handling, an easy exercise in a programmer course.
 
PEMDAS is just telling you how to read expressions like the one you posted. It doesn't have any specific preference for the order of terms that are added/subtracted.
If you want to have some specific order then you need to define what order you want. Then just rearrange things based on your preference.
 
  • #10
If there is PEMDAS then all of the following equations are equivalent to each other?

##x^2+x-y=1##
##x+x^2-y=1##
##-y+x^2+x=1##
.
.
.
 
  • #11
pairofstrings said:
If there is PEMDAS then all of the following equations are equivalent to each other?

##x^2+x-y=1##
##x+x^2-y=1##
##-y+x^2+x=1##.
Yes. The exponentiated term, ##x^2## has higher precedence than all of the other terms.

You could think of the first equation as being the same as ##(x^2) + x + (-y) = 1##. Written this way, all of the terms on the left side could be shown in any order due to the commutative property of addition.

Taken one step further, you could write the equation as ##(x^2) + x + (-y) + (-1) = 0##. Then all four terms on the left side could be written in any order, again due to commutativity of addition. Subtraction isn't commutative, which is why I've enclosed the 3rd and 4th terms with parentheses.
 
Last edited:

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