What? A number next to parenthesis always means multiplication
No, it means distribution, a(b+c)=(ab+ac)
Are people really not taught this anymore?
They’re taught distribution yes. It’s only adults who’ve forgotten the rules of Maths who get these wrong
x4740N@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I live in Australia and don’t recall my school at all teaching me this in maths class
They taught us stuff like radius and area of a circle but not this
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 2 months ago
I’m in Australia, and I remember being taught it, and I teach it.
The rules are the same everywhere, only the notation varies (in Germany they use . for multiply and : for divide, and say “dot before slash”, slash being - and +).
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
I thought math was relatively universal. The US education system may be different, but I’m certain we’re not the only place that does it that way.
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 2 months ago
It is
They have the same rules, but they don’t require Maths teachers to have a Maths qualification (in Australia you have to have a Masters), and they have been sliding in world rankings for more than a decade.