this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2024
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Math Memes

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[–] 520@kbin.social 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

To further clarify,

(x+2)(x-2) means to take the result of X+2 and times it with the result of x-2.

While it is common in algebra to bring the other side over, in order to simplify it, this isn't how you'd do it.

Here, you'd either cancel out the X (by removing it on both sides) or the -2 (by adding 2 to both sides) over to make 2=-2 or X+4=X respectively, which are both nonsense equations.

[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

and times it with the result

and multiply it with the result

[–] 520@kbin.social 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)
[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Not really, no… “times” is not a verb. You can multiply 2 by 2, and you can express that as “2 times 2”, but it is not correct to “times 2 by 2”.

[–] 520@kbin.social 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Not sure what you think the relevance of a Spanish-English translation of the word “multiplying” has here… but nonetheless, you can see the correct usage of the word “multiply” versus the word “times” in my explanation above. For further clarification I would suggest a real dictionary, like Oxford, Meriam-Webster, etc.

I’m sure plenty of people will continue to make the mistake and it will become an accepted variant, though I wouldn’t consider it to be the correct usage of the word. Similar to the word “irregardless”, it’s a word, it’s used incorrectly in place of “regardless” very often, and therefore is an accepted variant. It’s just not the correct word to use. This is why I offered you my initial correction.

[–] 520@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Not sure what you think the relevance of a Spanish-English translation of the word “multiplying” has here

It's a more authoritative answer than a random comment by a grammar nazi.

Also the dictionaries you mentioned aren't great about including common informal language, which is what 'times by' is.

[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yes I’m sure those at Oxford and MW could learn a thing or two from wordreference.com’s Spanish translation, which made the same mistake you did.

Thanks for calling me a nazi though, during otherwise polite conversation… have a good one.

[–] 520@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Thanks for calling me a nazi though, during otherwise polite conversation… have a good one.

I called you a grammar nazi because it's a perfect description of your behaviour in this conversation, right down to a need to be the only one who's right and being unable to tolerate colloquialisms.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/grammar_Nazi

https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/grammar-nazi/

For a grammar nazi you sure don't seem to read all that carefully.