Rewriting an expression without the absolute value symbols

**tiar** · January 13th 2009, 08:15 PM

$\frac{|x-y|}{|y-x|}<br />$
x cannot equal y.
I'm stumped on this, I'm being told the answer is 1 but I don't understand how.
If someone could explain this indepth I'd be so grateful! Thank you.

**Last_Singularity** · January 13th 2009, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by tiar

$\frac{|x-y|}{|y-x|}<br />$
x cannot equal y.
I'm stumped on this, I'm being told the answer is 1 but I don't understand how.
If someone could explain this indepth I'd be so grateful! Thank you.

Let $x-y=z$

Then $\frac{|x-y|}{|y-x|} = \frac{|z|}{|-z|} = \frac{|z|}{|z|} = 1$

**tiar** · January 13th 2009, 08:43 PM

Ohh, I think I get it now. Thank you! I'm very bad with absolute value...
Edit: Wait, I'm still confused. Where does $\frac{|x-y|}{|-x-y|}$ Come from?
(That is, $\frac{|z|}{|-z|}$ )

**earboth** · January 13th 2009, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by tiar

Ohh, I think I get it now. Thank you! I'm very bad with absolute value...
Edit: Wait, I'm still confused. Where does $\frac{|x-y|}{|-x-y|}$ Come from?
(That is, $\frac{|z|}{|-z|}$ )

If z = x - y then

-z = (-1)(x - y) = -x + y = y - x

**stapel** · January 14th 2009, 03:53 AM

Originally Posted by tiar

Wait, I'm still confused. Where does $\frac{|x-y|}{|-x-y|}$ Come from?

If you do 5 - 3, you get +2.

If you do 3 - 5, you get -2.

If you reverse a subtraction, you kick a "minus" out front.

Have fun!

Thread: Rewriting an expression without the absolute value symbols

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display

Rewriting an expression without the absolute value symbols

Similar Math Help Forum Discussions

Rewriting expression as single log with coefficent 1

Rewriting a trig expression

Rewriting imaginary number expression

[SOLVED] [SOLVED] simplifying radical expressions and using absolute value symbols!

Rewriting Expression

Search Tags