text: # How do you simplify 27 - 13 * 2 +17(6 - 5)?
  
  Apr 9, 2015
  
  The order of operations for numeric expressions:
  
  1. anything inside parentheses
  2. exponents
  3. multiplication and division (usually left to right)
  4. addition and subtraction (usually left to right)
  
  So following this sequence
  $27 - 13 \cdot 2 + 17 \left(6 - 5\right)$
  $= 27 - 13 \cdot 2 + 17 \left(1\right)$
  $= 27 - 26 + 17 \left(1\right)$
  $= 27 - 26 + 17$
  $= 1 + 17$
  $= 18$
  
  Note that the "left to right" sub-rule is important since
  $\left(27 - 26\right) + 17 \ne 27 - \left(26 + 17\right)$