# Talk:Infix notation

WikiProject Mathematics (Rated Start-class, Mid-priority)
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Mathematics, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Mathematics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.
Mathematics rating:
 Start Class
 Mid Priority
Field: General

Note that these rules are still ambiguous...

Is

1 - 2 - 3

equal to

1 - (2 - 3) = 2

or

(1 - 2) - 3 = -4

?

The convention is either to evaluate left to right or right to left, but I don't recall which. Salsa Shark 08:30 Mar 20, 2003 (UTC)
..only if you're illiterate. The former distributes the sign to other signs, which isn't at all told by the first expression. lysdexia 09:54, 24 Oct 2004 (UTC)
Wow, stupidity. Salsa Shark, did you pass junior school math.? When expanded, the first option becomes ${\displaystyle 1-2+3}$. To get the originial expression, you need to use ${\displaystyle 1-\left(2+3\right)}$. if you understand that a number without a sign is considered to be positive, then the expression could be re-written as ${\displaystyle 0+\left({+1}\right)+\left({-2}\right)+\left({-3}\right)}$. the order which the later terms are operated is irrelevant in this caae, since hey are of equal precedence. In general, however, it is normal to evaluate terms from left to right