• Incandemon@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    11 months ago

    I can say that this is a common thing in engineering. Pretty much everyone I know would treat 1/2x as 1/(2x).

    Which does make it a pain when punched into calculators to remember the way we write it is not necessarily the right way to enter it. So when put into matlab or calculators or what have you the number of brackets can become ridiculous.

    • mcteazy@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      I’m an engineer. Writing by hand I would always use a fraction. If I had to write this in an email or something (quickly and informally) either the context would have to be there for someone to know which one I meant or I would use brackets. I certainly wouldn’t just wrote 1/2x and expect you to know which one I meant with no additional context or brackets