Re: bug#914: In CVS Emacs, calc-eval gives multiplication higher precidence than division

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

Jay Belanger wrote:
>> The original bug report was about this
>>
>>   (calc-eval "1 / 2 * 1000")
>>
>> Calc treats this as 1 / (2 * 1000) which is just plain wrong.
> 
> That's overstating it.

Not if you use the usual precedence rules in math. Then it is plain
wrong. No less and no more.

If you want to use some other logic then of course it is not wrong.

>> I have never seen a mathematician treat it that way - though I have
>> seen many pupils doing that.
> 
> While there may be counterexamples, I have never seen a mathematician
> write 1 / 2 * 1000 when he means (1 / 2) * 1000.

Strange. I think it is common that you know and use the precedence rules.

Of course I agree with you that it is good practice to use parenthesis,
but that is another thing.