SOLUTION: I am currently tutoring a student at a local middle school. She had this pre-algebra problem from a test that I believe has a syntax error which makes it difficult to solve. Howeve

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Question 553046: I am currently tutoring a student at a local middle school. She had this pre-algebra problem from a test that I believe has a syntax error which makes it difficult to solve. However, I have forgotten the rules that would make this a syntax error for me to explain it to her. This is the equation as written:
(-2)-(-8)/(6+4x(-4)-(-6))=x
I have entered this equation on a spreadsheet program and it will not take the equation as written. It forces the parenthesis in this order:
(-2-(-8)/(6+4*(-4)-(-6)))=x
Why is the first equation incorrect and what are the steps to solve?
Respectfully,
Natalie Witte
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Spreadsheet arithmetic and algebraic notation, while related, are really two different things.

The first equation is incorrect in that it is ambiguous.

Does it mean:

or

The first way has no real number solutions (the solution is a conjugate pair of complex numbers) whereas the two solutions for the second way are real but irrational -- both of which seem a bit beyond what you would typically see in middle school -- UNLESS the in the denominator expression is supposed to mean "times" as opposed to being the variable , in which case the answer is a single integer. But you still need to clarify the ambiguity, i.e., is the (-2) inside or outside of the fraction?

You need to clarify what you really mean.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it