subtraction
Sign in to savethumb|alt=Removing two peaches from a group of five peaches leaves three peaches remaining.|" = 3" (verbally, "five minus two equals three")
AI overview
Subtraction is a mathematical operation where you take away a certain amount from a larger amount to find what remains—for example, if you remove two peaches from five peaches, you're left with three. It's a fundamental skill that helps us solve everyday problems involving quantities, like figuring out change after a purchase or determining how much of something is left.
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Article
31 sectionsContents
- Notation and terminology
- Of integers and real numbers
- Integers
- Natural numbers
- Real numbers
- Properties
- Anti-commutativity
- Non-associativity
- Predecessor
- Units of measurement
- Percentages
- In computing
- The teaching of subtraction in schools
- In America
- In Europe
- Comparing the two main methods
- Subtraction by hand
- Austrian method
- Subtraction from left to right
- American method
- Trade first
- Partial differences
- Nonvertical methods
- Counting up
- Breaking up the subtraction
- Same change
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|alt=Removing two peaches from a group of five peaches leaves three peaches remaining.|" = 3" (verbally, "five minus two equals three")
thumb|Placard outside a shop in Bordeaux advertising subtraction of 20% from the price of the second perfume purchased. Subtraction (which is signified by the minus sign, −) is one of the four arithmetic operations along with addition, multiplication and division. Subtraction is an operation that represents removal of objects from a collection. For example, in the adjacent picture, there are peaches—meaning 5 peaches with 2 taken away, resulting in a total of 3 peaches. Therefore, the difference of 5 and 2 is 3; that is, . While primarily associated with natural numbers in arithmetic, subtraction can also represent removing or decreasing physical and abstract quantities using different kinds of objects including negative numbers, fractions, irrational numbers, vectors, decimals, functions, and matrices.