Technology comes from the Greek root
, meaning art or craft.
For the Greeks, a straightedge and compass was technology.
The nice thing about a straightedge and compass construction of any length is that there's always a corresponding algebraic form consisting of natural numbers combined via addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and square rooting (of positive numbers). So we get an "exact" answer, at least using radicals.
Compare that to the typical calculating technology we use today where the square roots turn into approximations. The calculator is worse, turning an exact answer into an approximation.
Straightedge and compass constructions play a large role in the development of mathematics but they're not really better, it's just how things went. By restricting ourselves to straightedges (linear equations) and compasses (circles, quadratic equations) we restricted the possible lengths we could construct. Understanding exactly how propelled mathematics forward for a couple of thousand years.
I dont understand this what do the numbers represent
Answer:
80
Step-by-step explanation:
The "difference" means the answer using subtraction. Subtract -60 from 20 to find the different between the two numbers.
20 - (-60) When you have two minus signs, it become a plus sign.
= 20 + 60 Add
= 80 Difference between the numbers
Could you do it backwards? Subtract 20 from -60? Yes, but since the difference between two numbers will always be a <u>positive number</u>, you need to use absolute value symbols.
| -60 - 20 | Do -60 -20 first
= | -80 | Apply the absolute value of -80 (make the number positive)
= 80 Difference between the numbers
You do not have to put absolute value if you do 20 - (-60), but you can. For -60 -20, you must use them.
Therefore, the difference between 20 and -60 is 80.