Question

Describe the order of operations agreed upon by mathematicians.

Short answer

The order of operations agreed upon by mathematicians is (1) Brackets/Parentheses, (2) Indices/Exponents, (3) Division and Multiplication (from left to right), and (4) Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). This is frequently abbreviated as BIDMAS or PEMDAS.

Step-by-step solution

Brackets/parentheses

Firstly, perform any calculations inside brackets or parentheses. This might include further nested brackets, which should be calculated from the inside out.

Indices/Exponents

Secondly, solve exponents (or indices in the UK), that is, powers and square roots, cube roots, etc.

Division and Multiplication (from left to right)

The third step is to perform any multiplications and divisions, working from left to right. If there's both multiplication and division in the expression, follow the left-to-right rule.

Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)

The last step plan is to perform all additions and subtractions, again working from left to right.