Precedence

Consider the expression . This expression has value due to what is called operator precedence (or "order of operations"). Precedence of common operators is generally defined so that "higher-level" operations are performed first (i.e., advanced operations "bind more tightly")/ For simple expressions, operations are typically ordered from highest to lowest in the order:

1. Parenthesization,

2. Factorial,

3. Exponentiation,

4. Multiplication and division,

5. Addition and subtraction.

For more complex operations, the order of operations depends on the system.

A number of geographically-varying methods for remembering basic precedence rules exist, e.g., PEMDAS in the United States.

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