this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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For those of you who were confused even after reading the comments: (a)(b) basically means a*b. My mind just didn't connect that to the fact that (x-x)=0. in the (a-x)(b-x) stuff is also (x-x) which = 0, and anything * 0 = 0, so no matter the value of literally everything else in the equation, it all equals out to 0 because every single () will get multiplied by (x-x), which is 0. There, hopefully that will clear it up for anyone remaining lost. And like all good jokes, they are always best when you have to explain them.
Ok, wtf. Why write it like this then?
Because you wrote a lot less when writing it this way. Groups of terms beside each other are multiplying each other and you have to solve what's inside of those groups before multiplying them together.
Actually the whole thing is a single Term. Terms are separated by operators and joined by grouping symbols, and there's no operators between the successive brackets.
You don't have to, but it sure makes the working-out a lot easier if you do!
If a=1, b=2, c=3, d=4, then...
(a+b)(c+d)=(ac+ad+bc+bd)
(1+2)(3+4)=(1x3+1x4+2x3+2x4)=(3+4+6+8)=21
whereas...
(1+2)(3+4)=(3)(7)=(3x7)=21 :-)