• @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    11 year ago

    But subtraction and division are not associative. Any time you work on paper, 2 - 2 - 2 would equal -2. That is, (2-2)-2=0-2=-2. If you evaluate right to left, you get 2-2-2=2-(2-2)=2-0=2

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      31 year ago

      Correct, subtraction and division are not associative. However, what is subtraction if not adding the opposite of a number? Or division if not multiplying the inverse? And addition and multiplication are associative.

      2-2-2 can be written as 2 + (-2) + (-2) which would equal -2 no matter if you solve left to right, or right to left.

      In your example with the formula from right to left, distributing the negative sign reveals that the base equation was changed, so it makes sense that you saw a different answer.

      2 - (2 - 2) = 2 + ((-2) + 2) = 2