For a real number, its numerical value without regard to its sign; formally, -1 times the number if the number is negative, and the number unmodified if it is zero or positive
the absolute value represents the distance that a positive or negative number is from zero, when numbers are arrayed on a line with negative numbers to the left of zero and positive numbers to the right of zero The absolute value of a positive number is the number itself, whereas the absolute value of a negative number is the opposite (positive) number (Batchelet 1976)
Measure of the magnitude of a real number, complex number, or vector. Geometrically, the absolute value represents (absolute) displacement from the origin (or zero) and is therefore always nonnegative. If a real number a is positive or zero, its absolute value is itself; if a is negative, its absolute value is -a. A complex number z is typically represented by an ordered pair (a, b) in the complex plane. Thus, the absolute value (or modulus) of z is defined as the real number SquareRoot(a^2 + b^2), which corresponds to z's distance from the origin of the complex plane. Vectors, like arrows, have both magnitude and direction, and their algebraic representation follows from placing their "tail" at the origin of a multidimensional space and extracting the corresponding coordinates, or components, of their "point." The absolute value (magnitude) of a vector is then given by the square root of the sum of the squares of its components. For example, a three-dimensional vector v, given by (a, b, c), has absolute value SquareRoot(a^2/n+/nb^2/n+/nc^2). Absolute value is symbolized by vertical bars, as in x, z, or v, and obeys certain fundamental properties, such as a b = a b and a + b a + b
Suppose you want to know how much different from 0° the outside temperature is, and you do not care whether the temperature is colder or warmer than 0° Mathematically, you are asking "What is the absolute value of the temperature?" Whether the outside temperature is 15° or -15°, the number of degrees from 0° is exactly the same In symbols, we use straight lines to show absolute value The absolute value of 5 is written | 5 | | 5 | = | -5 | = 5 Graphing calculators often use abs for absolute value To enter an absolute value on the Texas Instruments TI-83 calculator, press (2nd) - CATALOG abs ( abs (25) = abs (-25) = 25 Caution! Be careful about the difference between absolute value and parentheses These are not the same thing!
The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on a number line It can be thought of as the value of a number when its sign is ignored For example, -3 and 3 both have an absolute value of 3
Absolute value of a number is the number itself if the number is non-negative, otherwise it is the opposite of the number (See also non-negative number and opposite number ) | x | = { x if x > = 0 -x if x < 0 Examples: Read as: | 3 | = 3 absolute value of 3 is 3 | -4 | = 4 absolute value of -4 is 4 | - 2 | = 2 absolute value of 2 is 2
The absolute value of a number is the positive value of that number For a positive number, it is just the number For a negative number it is it's positive value So, the absolute value of 5 is 5, and the absolute value of -5 is 5 also Absolute value is written like this: | - 5 | = 5 with vertical bars around the number You can think of absolute value as the distance from zero to your number Now, here's a problem for you: What is | - 8 |?