Difference between revisions of "Additive inverse"
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MelkorDCLXVI (talk | contribs) (New page: The '''additive inverse''' of a complex or real number x is the number y such that x and y add to equal the additive identity, the number 0. The addi...) |
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| − | The '''additive inverse''' of a [[complex number|complex]] or [[real number|real]] number x is the number y such that x and y add to equal the [[additive identity]], the number | + | The '''additive inverse''' of a [[complex number|complex]] or [[real number|real]] number x is the number y such that x and y add to equal the [[additive identity of addition|additive identity]], the number [[zero]]. The additive inverse is a [[function]] defined for all complex numbers, and is [[cyclical function|cyclical]] with period 2 ([[idempotent]]). However, for this function to exist, one must first accept the existence of the [[integer|negative numbers]]. This was a large impedence to early [[mathematics]], because early people had difficulty imagining something less than nothing. |
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Revision as of 00:46, June 28, 2008
The additive inverse of a complex or real number x is the number y such that x and y add to equal the additive identity, the number zero. The additive inverse is a function defined for all complex numbers, and is cyclical with period 2 (idempotent). However, for this function to exist, one must first accept the existence of the negative numbers. This was a large impedence to early mathematics, because early people had difficulty imagining something less than nothing.