Concept

Grouping Symbols in Algebra

In algebra, grouping symbols indicate which parts of an expression should be evaluated together as a single unit, much like punctuation marks in English clarify sentence structure. The four main grouping symbols are: parentheses ()( ), brackets [][ ], braces {}\{ \}, and absolute value bars | |. When using the order of operations, any expression inside grouping symbols must be simplified first, starting with the innermost group. For absolute value bars, first simplify inside the absolute value bars as much as possible, then take the absolute value of the resulting number. For example, 8(148)8(14 - 8) uses parentheses, and 213[2+4(98)]21 - 3[2 + 4(9 - 8)] nests parentheses inside brackets.

0

1

Updated 2026-05-01

Tags

OpenStax

Elementary Algebra @ OpenStax

Ch.2 Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities - Elementary Algebra @ OpenStax

Algebra

Math

Prealgebra

Ch.1 Foundations - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Related
Learn After