What are the limitations of using simple search and replace methods for handling complex mathematical formulas in PHP?

Using simple search and replace methods for handling complex mathematical formulas in PHP can be problematic because it may not accurately capture all variations of the formula. This approach may also inadvertently replace parts of the formula that are not intended to be modified. To handle complex mathematical formulas accurately, it's recommended to use a parser library or evaluate the expressions using a math evaluation library.

// Example using the eval() function to evaluate a complex mathematical formula
$formula = "2 * (3 + 5) / (4 - 2)";
$result = eval("return $formula;");
echo "Result: " . $result;