How does R calculate the following code?

Question

2 + 2 %>% sqrt()

Because the result is not 2, but 3.4142?

Answer 1

This is because R follows the conventions of mathematics. First it is made the potentiation and its inverse operation, then multiplication and its inverse and, finally, addition and its inverse. Thus, 2 + 2 %>% sqrt() means create the expression 2 + sqrt(2).

To obtain the desired result, it is necessary to explicitly inform that the addition has priority over potentiation (after all, taking the square root is equivalent to raising a number to 1/2 power) in this case. To do this, run (2 + 2) %>% sqrt()

Answer 2

In the R the operator %>% is called pipe, it will use the leftmost value to pass to the function, see what would be equivalent

library(magrittr)

print(2 + 2 %>% sqrt())

print(sqrt(2)+2)

Result of each print:

[1] 3.414214
[1] 3.414214

you must be imagining that he would pass 2+2 = 4 for sqrt, but that’s not what happens, it would be true if 2+2 were in parentheses (2+2)

print((2 + 2) %>% sqrt()) == 2