I am in 5th grade and we are to find out who invented the order of operation. I understand how to use it and found web sites, but I am unable to locate who invented it.
No one knows who invented the order of operations.
These web sites will help you.
http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52582.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations
11y=88
The Order of Operations rules in mathematics were not invented by one single person. They have been developed over the last few centuries.
That's a great question! The concept of the order of operations was not invented by a single person, but rather developed and refined over many centuries by mathematicians. While there isn't a specific individual credited with inventing the order of operations, the rules that make up this mathematical convention have been around for a long time.
The order of operations is a set of rules that dictate the sequence in which mathematical operations should be performed in an equation to ensure consistent and unambiguous interpretation. The typical order is Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), and finally Addition and Subtraction (from left to right) or P E MD AS.
Although the specific development and adoption of these rules cannot be attributed to a single person, their usage can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians and Egyptians. Over time, these mathematical conventions were refined and solidified by prominent mathematicians, including Rene Descartes, who introduced the modern notation for expressing mathematical operations.
So, while there may not be one specific inventor of the order of operations, it is the result of the cumulative efforts of many mathematicians throughout history.