>>>>-2**2
>>>>
>>>>what the answer... I lost my bet with my secondary schoolgirl daughter... :(
>>>
>>>There are some implied parenthesis in the expression and the result depends on where they are.
>>>
>>>Does the expression mean -(2**2) or (-2)**2?
>>
>>Implied parenthesis? I didn't know there were any. I thought in the absence of parenthesis the rules of precedence and right or left associativity apply.
>
>Oh yes, there are. They are defined by the rules of precedence and right or left associativity - as you put it
>
>It's like converting an expression to a fully parenthesized expression.
>The ones that were added in the fully parenthesized expression were 'implied' - wouldn't you agree ?

Yes. You're right and I misspoke.