Math Is Fun Forum

I hope I understand it. I did skim over this stuff in one of the books Shivam suggested.

a + (-a) = 0
a = -(-a)
-b = -b,
a - b = -b - (- a) =  -(b - a)

I think I may have missed something. I didn't know you could do that. Is there a name for this? I don't remember learning that the order of terms in an absolute value can be switched.

I was able to sign up now. The website looks promising. I love the navigator and the explanations and overviews are great. I didn't see any examples or practice problems. It's also not as easy as some other sites to navigate but the website is only in it's better phase.

Not yet, xD That can be changed.

There are solutions to the problems so there's no need to ask many questions. The only problem is the site doesn't teach the concepts but only gives solutions. I just don't solve them sometimes because I don't know of some method or I struggle to apply what I know to solving a type of problem I haven't come across before. I find it really interesting how our solutions can be so different sometimes.

progress report

I found a solution to this which was to make the material more active and game like. Reading books for me gets boring quickly. I paid for a brilliant.org subsription to test my application. I drag but I have gotten a lot better in a few days since they have lots of problems and solutions. Now I simply skim through a chapter in a book taking down the rules I need to memorize. I spend <40 mins. Then I do basic problems using them. Then I take a break and daydream about the theory for a little bit. Then I  follow another session of problems. Also in the day I practice whatever weak areas I discover from doing poorly on brilliant.org.

So basically my procrastination problem has declined. I get in at least 3 hours a day and it doesn't even feel like work anymore. I make flashcards of the rules I need to remember so that is minimal effort and works eventually. I go through my books, use mathisfun as a reference, do problems on mathisfun & brilliant. I'm also on pre-calculus at the moment while reviewing everything else. I'll probably transition onto Calculus in 9-12 weeks at the current pace if I don't get too overwhelmed by my upcoming responsibilities.

Why don't they take the negative root instead? I read they take the absolute value. Is it just convention?

Thank you so much ShivamS and Bob Bundy.

I'm definitely a creative thinker. Because of it I can annoy many people very easily. I'm partially a gifted learner. I'm definitely not a high achiever.

book says it's written in the form Ax + By = C.   A=0. B= -2, C = 5
So 

0(x) + (-2)y = 5

It's part of the original question.