Simple maths equation dividing the internet

The viral image has sparked a fierce debate. Photo / Twitter

8 ÷ 2(2+2) = ?

What seems like a simple maths equation is dividing the internet, and no one can agree on the correct answer.

An image of the controversial question went viral after being posted on Twitter earlier this week, sparking a fierce debate — is the answer 1 or 16?

"We need to have more brain games on this app cuz some of y'all stupid. Let's see who's smart. Lol," Twitter user LifeOfJay98 wrote.

oomfies solve this pic.twitter.com/0RO5zTJjKk

— ❦ (@pjmdolI) July 28, 2019

i have 2 math degrees it’s 1

— laur (@genericversion) July 30, 2019

Anything other than 1 is absolutely wrong hth

— Alex (@classyxhakalaca) July 28, 2019

The amount of people saying 1 is scary

— Ashley Cherelle (@_ashleycherelle) July 28, 2019

1. The amount of people saying 16 need to retake math 😭

— 🌼𝕙𝕩𝕟𝕖𝕪𝕓𝕖𝕖. seeing BTS🐝 ⁷ (@BlackSwan875) July 28, 2019

Some said the answer depends on whether you perform the multiplication or division first, because under the PEDMAS order of operations method they both take equal weight.

PEDMAS stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction. In British English it's also known as BODMAS, which stands Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, and Addition and Subtraction.

(2+2) 4
8/2(4)
According to PEMDAS you need to get rid of parathenses first so
2(4)=8
8/8=1 answer is one.

— koook 💜 (@inluvwithJKJM) July 28, 2019

It's either 1 or 16 depending on which mathematician you listen to, because order of operations isn't a hard and fast rule, and math is really just a language.

And nothing is true. pic.twitter.com/d324s8grlA

— Love, Blood (compulsory), and Rhetoric (@NomeDaBarbarian) July 30, 2019

Both 1 and 16 are correct answers because the notation of the equation is incorrect. Can everyone stfu now? https://t.co/N5SFpSyewH

— kookadooks⁷ (@bstpeach) July 30, 2019

In other words, both answers are right — it's the question that's wrong.

This article was first published on news.com.au.