Will you please tell me what this means?

Question

I am talking with one of my "Math Buddies" and he gave me this in one of our email conversations:

[x(^(y
Let's say
X= 1
Y= 2
N= 3,

The problem will be [1(^2<3)-1)], What does this mean? And please put it in words.

Example: 2 + 3 = 5 means "Two Plus Three Equals Five".

I know the up arrow means "To the __ power", but what does the side arrow mean?

Thank you in advance.

Oh also, I already know how to do the problem (what order to do things in), but I don't know what the side arrow means..... Please help.....

Answer 1

The "<" means less than. In the contest of this example, it does not seem meaningful. The use of parentheses is odd. Usually you would say something like x^(y-1) meaning x raised to the (y-1) power. You wouldn't put the "^" inside the parentheses, the way your buddy did. This is just really, really odd. I teach math and this makes no sense to me!

Answer 2

I know that the side arrow means less than, for example, 6<7 means six is less than seven. However, I can't help you with this unless I know something. What are the directions for this problem? What variable are you solving for? X, Y, or N? And if you're not solving for a variable, what are you told to do? Did your buddy give you the X=1, Y=2 and N=3 or did you put in those numbers as an example?

Answer 3

There must be a typo somewhere.
(^ in any context does not make sense, since a number must precede the exponentiation operator ^.
However, perhaps the following was meant:

x^((y
In many programming languages, putting a relational statement such as y
Therefore, lets say (y
Then the function is x^(1-1) = x^0 = 1 if y and
x^(0-1) = x^(-1) = 1/x if y≥n

Answer 4

The side arrow does not represent any mathematical function that I've ever heard of. I think that either someone made a typo or else someone is pulling someone else's leg. Of course, "<" means less than, but you cannot use a less than comparison in that context.

Answer 5

looks like its a typo. y

Answer 6

if it points to the left it means "less than"
if it points to the right it means "greater than"

Answer 7

the side arrow is "less than"

Answer 8

it means y is less than n.

or

n is greater than y

Answer 9

it means two is lesser than three