Relative Truth

6÷2(1+2)

I was recently on Facebook and a friend of mine put this problem up.  It seems harmless.  The answer that I gave is 1 and I will show you how I derived it:

2(1+2) = 2(3) = 6

6÷6 = 1

The reason that I solved it this way is because the parentheses have to be dealt with first.  The multiplication of the term outside of the parentheses with the term inside (distribution) has to happen next.  Division is last (even though this goes counter to the PEMDAS protocol).  According to Purple Math, here is what they have to say: "The order of operations was settled on in order to prevent miscommunication, but PEMDAS can generate its own confusion; some students sometimes tend to apply the hierarchy as though all the operations in a problem are on the same "level", but often those operations are not "equal". Many times it helps to work problems from the inside out, rather than left-to-right, because often some parts of the problem are "deeper down" than other parts."[1] The reason I did it this way is very simple, the division symbol indicates that there is a numerator and a denominator as shown and the parentheses indicate that the two terms on the left must be dealt with first:

                                                                                                                                                       

There is another camp that says that the equation can be solved in the following way: 6/2*(1+2) which discounts the division sign as separating the numerator and denominator.

 x (2+1)  = 3x3 = 9

Surprisingly, there are numerous videos on YouTube describing how to solve this problem!  It is a simple problem but it is made less simple because the terms are not clearly defined.   The answer can be 9 only if the first two terms are grouped together otherwise, the first method takes precedence.

It is funny that there is such debate over this.  Mathematics is a beautiful art and it is also very concrete.  There is one answer to any given problem.  What this problem introduces is the idea that there are two ways to solve the problem and therefore we get two different answers.  The only reason this is possible is because the problem is left open to the interpretation of the one reading it because of the way that it is written.

This is where I was sort of peeved because the problem is more than a math problem.  It actually subtly introduces the concept of relative truth.  Mathematics is not a relative art.  Arts are usually subjective and left open to the interpreter but mathematics doesn't fall into that classification.  It is absolute.  This problem introduces relativism because of the poorly defined terms.

What does relativism have to do with anything?  It is a way to rationalize anything down to what “I” believe as opposed to what is the truth.  Relativism says that your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth and there are no absolutes. 

I beg to differ here.  There are absolutes!  Jesus Christ is absolute.  There are no two answers, there are no two ways to get to Him, there are no relatives…He IS the truth!  The world that we live in tries to muddy up the waters by making everything relative.  Truth is presented with spin to ensure maximum confusion.  Don’t be swayed.  When you know the truth, do the truth!  When you know what is right, do what is right.  There is no “my truth” or “your truth” but THE truth!  God bless you and keep you.