The correct order to address equations in parentheses and brackets is as follows. Need help with order of operation problems that have parentheses and brackets aka nested parentheses. P - The parentheses are the math symbols which represent the innermost bracket grouping.
9 - 5 8 - 3 x 2 6.
The parentheses group 3 and 2 together and 6 and 4 together and the square brackets tell us to do all the calculations inside them before multiplying by 4. However in math the use of parentheses within an expression is necessary to group terms and to define the order of algebraic operations. Square brackets in mathematics are generally used for enclosing arguments of functions. Practice the Order of Operations With These Free Math Worksheets.