I think the the question is pretty self explanatory.
With positive numbers you can let’s say put 3 balls in a box and there you have it, a representation of the positive number 3.
Same goes with 0, a box with 0 balls represent the amount 0.
But how do you do that with a negative number?
In: 0
You represent positive numbers by putting 3 balls into a box. You represent negative numbers by taking 3 balls out of a box, leaving it empty.
-3 is the additive inverse of 3. When you add -3 to 3, you get the additive identity 0 (0 is the additive identity because eg 4 + 0 = 4, similarly 1 is the multiplicative identity). That’s ultimately the “point” of negative numbers, to the extent they have one.
People usually like to try to represent them as a “thing” rather than an “action”, but why restrict things like that? Numbers or other mathematical objects usually aren’t very interesting unless they’re acting on something or being acted upon.
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