>>>(1) math will be -4
>>>
>>>(2) Computers will give 4 since the minus sign will be interpreted as a unary operator with higher precedence than the exponent operator
>>
>>
>>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/69058.html
>>
>>According to that page Excel will gives 4 but lotus 1-2-3 gives -4...
>
>Metin,
>
>It's all down to the language's implementation
>
>Most - if not all - languages will interprete the leading minus sign as a unary operator
>

>? -2 ^ 2 && 4
>? 0 - 2^2 && -4
>

>In the second expression, the minus sign is interpreted as a binary operator and is evaluated AFTER the exponent
>
>ps: in one of my old books I find an algorithm to find out when a minus sign is to be treated as unary
>Answer:
>A minus sign is unary if (1) at the beginning of an expression, or (2) right after a left parenthesis

This is a math rule and I think so all computer languages should obey that rule.

Microsoft accept that a mistake and gave a workaround for that:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q132686/