6/6 So no, there is nothing arbitrary about the order of operations rules at all - they are a natural consequence of the way we have defined things (such as multiplication is defined as a shorthand form of addition, and so has to be done first). So there's nothing arbitrary in Maths, 1+1=2 everywhere, and having different Physics or a different base doesn't mean we have different Maths. Maths is universal, only the notation for it varies by region.