They're the curved symbols found on the 8 & 9 keys on the keyboard. Their purpose is to isolate parts of equations, and signify their elevated importance. In mathematical equations, anything enclosed in brackets is solved first.
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Parentheses and brackets work the same in math as they do in writing -- use them to group ideas.
Parentheses ( ), brackets [ ], and braces { }
They tend to be known only as parentheses (singular - "parenthesis") or brackets.
removing the parentheses in a math problem
The different types of brackets are: * round brackets, open brackets or parentheses: ( ) * square brackets, closed brackets or box brackets: [ ] * curly brackets, squiggly brackets, swirly brackets, braces, or chicken lips: { } * angle brackets, diamond brackets, cone brackets or chevrons: < > or ⟨ ⟩