• Mossy Feathers (She/They)
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      8 months ago

      It was my understanding that it’s like velocity vs speed. Positive/Negative numbers have a directional component, that is that they are above or below zero. Absolute values, however, lack a direction. They’re a value, but they don’t tell you if the value is positive or negative.

      • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Absolute value shows only distance from the 0 value on the number line without the direction. All distances are positive when viewed without direction.