Math Question on Facebook

[whoareyou]

There's this question on Facebook, and there is a huge debate between me and my friends between which is the right answer or not.

code:

6?2(1+2)=?

The options are 1 and 9. I believe that the answer is 1, but the majority of people who have answered the question say it's 9.

code:

6?2(1+2)=? = 6?2(3) //Brackets first = 6/2(3) //Rewriting the equation in a simpler form = 6/6 //2(3) is 6, so it becomes 6/6 = 1 //the answer is 1 :)

[RandomLetters]

Is the ? operator meant to be a division sign?

[apython1992]

Multiplication and division goes from left to right. 9 is the correct answer.

[A.J]

Well, based on what wolframalpha says:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=6%2F2%281%2B2%29

So yeah, its 9.

[Tony]

Which is pretty obvious when you actually write out the equation. To get one, you need this interpretation -- http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=6%2F%282%281%2B2%29%29 which, of course, is different.

[andrew.]

Most calculators will interpret 6/2(1+2) as (6/2)*(1+2). In this case, the answer is 9. If there were brackets around the "2(1+2)", then the answer would be 1.

[Brightguy]

Strictly speaking, by the order of operations the answer should be 9. But in actuality, the scandalous truth is that mathematicans don't always follow the order of operations.

For example, I've seen a/(bc) written as a/bc. The reasoning is, if you had really meant (a/b)c you would have written ac/b instead. In a draft I once used the a/bc notation but couldn't bring myself to go through with it.