Puzzles & Quizzes

Can You Solve The e=8 MIT Admissions Math Problem?

How well do you know PEMDAS or BODMAS? Order-of-operations problems seem to really frustrate the people of the internet, but this one from the MindYourDecisions YouTube channel may be the hardest one we've seen. According to the channel, this problem appeared in an admissions text for MIT in 1869. Scroll down to read the problem, and keep scrolling to read the answer. Good luck!

The former MIT campus, looking west on Boylston Street from near Berkeley Street in Boston, around 1890-1901.
Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection

Here's the Problem

Let e=8 in the following equation:

e - (√(e + 1) + 2) + (e - ³√e)√(e - 4).

What's the numerical value of the equation?

Hint: As mentioned earlier, knowledge of the order of operations will be pretty important here. Scroll down to read the answer.

The 1869 MIT Admissions Order of Operations Question

Can You Solve An MIT Test Question (in 1869)? The Order Of Operations
– MindYourDecisions

Here's the Answer

In this equation where e=8, the numerical value is 15. Did you get it? Watch the video above to see exactly how it's solved.

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Written by Joanie Faletto June 19, 2017

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