When it is necessary to type algebra all on one line, then you MUST have parentheses around the numerator and denominator to show where the numerator and denominator begin and end. So you should have typed (A-B)/(A+B) not A-B/A+B In other words, you want, not , for without parentheses, A-B/A+B is taken to mean The largest value of is when the numerator is as large as possible and the denominator is as small as possible. This is when A is 50 and B is 1. So the largest value of is when A=50 and B=1, or --------------------------- However if the problem were the largest value of A-B/A+B, as you typed it above, the largest value would be 50-50/50-50 = = 50-1+50 = 99. Parentheses are always necessary when algebra is typed all on one line. Edwin