I don't claim that the way I did this would make my old math teacher happy (all that time teaching me long division, only for me to go and do something like this!), but ... rewrite the equation:

(3+(157/1000))/(125/1000)

Simplify the fraction

(3000/125) + (157/125)

Now 125 divides evenly into 3000, giving us 24.

Look at 157/125, which is 1 + 32/125.

Multiply top and bottom by 8 to get 256/1000, or .256

So that gives us 24 + 1 + .256, or 25.256

edit: obviously the people who multiplied by 8 as their first step rather than the last had the better idea.

I know, I was raised in one of them and use it as a division sign when on paper. Online/on computers though I prefer to use the / precisely because it's unambiguous and it's the symbol most software uses to interpret division.

I was taught the same here, only most people drop the dot completely and just leave a small space when writing it on paper; online/on computers though I don't use any spaces or dots (comp sci background coming back to bite me) and just write the string normally. If the software decides to add separators so be it.

And if you really want to go overboard, the real symbol for division is the obelus: ÷

Lol, I had that feeling just some minutes ago, when I tried to solve a problem that seemed easy enought only to find out I had completely forgotten how to do it. Now I am not even sure if it's possible to find a solution.

I have the plan of a living room and I wanted to know how long the walls are. If I know the living room is 22 square meters, I should be able to do it, right? Man, getting old sucks. When did I forget all the math I was taught?

Did somebody mention that instead of dividing by 0.125 you can always also multiply by 8.

Only about everyone.

Okay, how about 53.363 / 0.237

I must admit I was more interested about how people would go about solving it, akin to how BadDecissions did it, but made a small error and simplified it too much.

I myself went for long divisions, but messed up continuously first few times. The point of it was that I was so sure I knew the basics that I was actually surprised when it all came out wrong.

Got it in a minute (and then checked calculator to make sure). Move the decimals, add a zero to 3157, divide.

Super Meat Boy will do, Land of the Livid Dead in Rayman Origins is fine as well :)

This is small-time!

Much more fun can be had by doing long division with Roman numerals.

No thanks. I agree with Fibonacci who published some 800 years ago in his epochal work: "Roman numerals suck!"
(well, he said it in more words. But that's the basic statement of his book. ;-) )

5. There was a time when I could have done this in my head (I probably still could if I practiced again, I'm just out of shape with mental arithmetic, but I used to do this shit for fun all the way until early university).

The methodology I'd use to do this is my head (while memorizing as little as possible... what I keep in my head is highlighter after each step) is shown below:

1) 53.363 / 0.237 --> 53363 / 237

2) The maximum multiplier by base 10 so that the denominator doesn't exceed the numerator is 100.

So, 53363 / 237 --> (53363 / 23700)*100

3) From there, you can multiply the denominator by 2 and it still won't exceed the numerator

(53363 / 23700)*100 --> (53363 / 47400)*200

4) Now, it's time to split the numerator...

(53363 / 47400)*200 --> 200 + (5963 / 47400)*200

5) Now, make the numerator exceed the denominator in the second part, by multiplying it by 10...

200 + (5963 / 47400)*200 --> 200 + (59630 / 47400)*20

6) Simplify:

200 + (59630 / 47400)*20 --> 200 + (5963 / 4740)*20

7) Split:0
220 + (5963 / 4740)*20 --> 220 + (1223/4740)*20

8) Now, multiply the numerator by 4:

220 + (1223/4740)*20 --> 220 + (4892/4740)*5

9) Split:

220 + (4892/4740)*5 --> 225 + (152/4740)*5

10) Multiply the numerator by 40:

225 + (152/4740)*5 --> 225 + (6080/4740)*0.125

11) Split:

225 + (6080/4740)*0.125 --> 225.125 + (1340/4740)*0.125

12) Multiply the numerator by 4:

225.125 + (1340/4740)*0.125 --> 225.125 + (5360/4740)*0.03125

13) Split:

225.125 + (5360/4740)*0.03125 --> 225.15625 + (620/4740)*0.03125

And that point, I'd round the answer out of laziness, but if you'd want to go further, the next step would be to multiply the numerator by 10 and split.

Note: The methodology here is what I'd do in my head. On paper, you can just use the long division (multiply the numerator by 10 all the way).

I noticed this same thing the other day when briefly firing up Counter-Strike. I did so badly I logged right back off and wept bitterly. I haven't played an FPS in ages. I hope I can learn again how to aim and fire before I am dead at least some of the time. I need to train with bots.