I am forever forgetting the order of maths operations, so here is a rundown if anybody should find it useful.

BODMAS is an acronym that helps students (as well as Nerdle players 👀) remember the correct order of operations when solving mathematical expressions. It stands for:

B – Brackets O – Orders (Exponents and Roots) D – Division M – Multiplication A – Addition S – Subtraction

The BODMAS principle dictates the sequence in which operations should be performed to ensure accurate results. Here’s a breakdown of each part:

1. Brackets: Solve the expressions inside the brackets first. Brackets include parentheses ( ), square brackets [ ], and curly brackets { }. They may be nested, and if so, should be solved from the innermost bracket outwards.
2. Orders: Calculate any exponents (powers) or roots (like square roots) within the expression. This step includes both positive and negative exponents.
3. Division and Multiplication: Perform division and multiplication operations, first moving from left to right in the expression. If there are multiple division or multiplication operations, they should be carried out in the order they appear.
4. Addition and Subtraction: Lastly, perform addition and subtraction operations, moving from left to right in the expression. As with division and multiplication, if there are multiple addition or subtraction operations, they should be carried out in the order they appear.

By following the BODMAS principle, you can ensure that you’re solving mathematical expressions accurately and consistently.

Example:

Let’s solve the following expression using the BODMAS principle:

8 + (6 – 3) x 2^2 ÷ 2

1. Brackets: (6 – 3) = 3 8 + 3 x 2^2 ÷ 2
2. Orders: 2^2 = 4 8 + 3 x 4 ÷ 2
3. Division and Multiplication (from left to right): 3 x 4 = 12 12 ÷ 2 = 6 8 + 6
4. Addition and Subtraction (from left to right): 8 + 6 = 14

So the correct result is 14.