I.e., (-2)*1=-2 but (-2)*(-1)=2
In: Mathematics
>How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does.
I’ll provide a real answer:
Multiplication is basically a series of repetitive addition. 5×5=5+5+5+5+5 right? This is easily applied when only one number is negative, but when both numbers are negative, the equation becomes illogical. The question shifts from “How does this work?”, to “How do we *want* this to work?”
There is no practical situation that I can think of where you would multiply a negative by a negative. Basically, it’s to create structure in math. Purely for the sake of argument.
Latest Answers