Order of operations - parenetheses

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the order of operations in mathematical expressions, specifically exploring alternatives to parentheses. Participants reference Polish notation and Reverse Polish notation as viable methods for indicating order without using traditional brackets. The conversation highlights the historical context of these notations, with one user recalling their experience converting between notations in Pascal. Ultimately, while parentheses remain widely used, the discussion invites curiosity about other methods.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of mathematical expressions and order of operations
  • Familiarity with Polish notation and Reverse Polish notation
  • Basic programming knowledge, particularly in Pascal
  • Knowledge of mathematical precedence rules
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implementation of Polish notation in programming languages
  • Explore algorithms for converting between infix, prefix, and postfix notations
  • Study the historical development of mathematical notation systems
  • Investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of brackets in expressions
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, computer science students, and educators interested in alternative methods for expressing order of operations in mathematical expressions.

manjuvenamma
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Is there a better/different way of indicating the order of operations in a mathematical expression - other than using parentheses?
 
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Why? What's wrong with parentheses?
 
Ah, prefix and postfix notation. I remember when I took an intro to programming class as an undergrad, I had to write a program that converted from prefix/postfix to infix, in Pascal. That was fun. :biggrin:
 
Number Nine! Nothing wrong with brackets. Just curiosity. When I studied OOO when I was kid 40 years ago, I studied different types of brackets and their order of precedence. Now, no one uses all these types of brackets, just ordinary brackets with nesting as needed.

Just curiosity to know if there is an alternate and better way.
 

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