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First Priority
E xponents
Second Priority
D ivision
Third Priority
M ultiplication
Third Priority
A ddition
Fourth Priority
S ubtraction
Fourth Priority
.If an expression involves two or more operations at the same level of priority, those operations are done
from left to right.
A few examples will show how these rules are applied.
y = 2x3
The operations to be done are multiply by 2 and cube. Exponents have 2nd prioity whereas multiply has
3rd priority. Given a value for x, we need to cubefirst then multiply by 2.
If we wish to multiply by 2 first then cube, we have to raise the priority of the multiplication by surrounding
the multiplication by brackets, taking the priority to 1st. The expression for this different order is
y = (2x)3
Given the expression y = 7 + (4p/6 + 3)5 , we can see that the operations we are dealing with are add 7,
brackets, multiply by 4, divide by 6 and raise to the power 5. The stuff in the bracket must be done first.
Multiply and divide have the same 3rd priority so should be done in order from left to right, then the 4th
priority add must be done. Once the bracket is evaluated, we are left with raise to a power (2nd priority)
and add (4th). Hence to evaluate y given a value for p we must multiply by 4 then divide by 6, add 3, raise
to the power 5 and finally add 7.
Exercise
Given the expression
for x?
y = -4x2 + 17, what is the order in which you would find y if you are given a value
The numerator and denominator are both expressions and their extent is shown by the length of the
horizontal line.This implies that the numerator and denominator get evaluated first and finally the division
is done.
requires both (4x2) and (x + 1) to be evaluated before the division. In computer notation this fraction
is (4*x^2)/(x+1).
Another common implied bracket occurs when the root symbol is used. Again although we do not usually
put in the brackets, the length of the horizontal line tells the extent of the expression to take the root of.
Example
is evaluated by raising 5 to the power of x, subtracting 22 and then taking the cube root.
The computer notation makes this explicit.
is equivalent to ((5^x)-22)^(1/3).
Exponents too have no brackets on functional powers. The whole expression is simply superscripted to
indicate it is the power.
Example
y2x + 1 is done in the order multiply x by 2 then add 1. Finally raise y to this power.
y2x + 1 is equivalent to y^(2^x+1).