12/30/2017 Additive inverse - Wikipedia

Additive inverse
In mathematics, the additive inverse of a number a is the number that, when added to a,
yields zero. This number is also known as the opposite (number),[1] sign  change, and
negation.[2] For a real number, it reverses its sign: the opposite to a positive number is
negative, and the opposite to a negative number is positive. Zero is the additive inverse of
itself.

The additive inverse of a is denoted by unary minus: −a (see the discussion below). For
example, the additive inverse of 7 is −7, because 7 + (−7) = 0, and the additive inverse of −0.3
is 0.3, because −0.3 + 0.3 = 0 .

The additive inverse is defined as its inverse element under the binary operation of addition
(see the discussion below), which allows a broad generalization to mathematical objects other
than numbers. As for any inverse operation, double additive inverse has no net effect:
−(−x) = x.

Contents
Common examples
Relation to subtraction
Other properties
Formal definition
Other examples
Non-examples
See also
Footnotes These complex numbers, two of
8
References eight values of √1, are mutually
opposite

Common examples
For a number and, generally, in any ring, the additive inverse can be calculated using
multiplication by −1; that is, −n = −1 × n . Examples of rings of numbers are integers, rational
numbers, real numbers, and complex numbers.

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Relation to subtraction
Additive inverse is closely related to subtraction, which can be viewed as an addition of the
opposite:

a − b  =  a + (−b).
Conversely, additive inverse can be thought of as subtraction from zero:

−a  =  0 − a.
Hence, unary minus sign notation can be seen as a shorthand for subtraction with "0" symbol
omitted, although in a correct typography there should be no space after unary "−".

Other properties
In addition to the identities listed above, negation has the following algebraic properties:

− (­ a) = a, it is an Involutive operation

−(a + b) = (−a) + (−b)
a − (−b) = a + b
(−a) × b = a × (−b) = −(a × b)
(−a) × (−b) = a × b

notably, (−a)2 = a2

Formal definition
The notation + is usually reserved for commutative binary operations; i.e., such that
x  +  y  =  y  +  x, for all x, y. If such an operation admits an identity element o (such that
x + o ( = o + x ) = x for all x), then this element is unique ( o′ = o′ + o = o ). For a given x , if
there exists x′ such that x + x′ ( = x′ + x ) = o , then x′ is called an additive inverse of x.

If + is associative (( x + y ) + z = x + ( y + z ) for all x, y, z), then an additive inverse is unique.

To see this, let x′ and x″ each be additive inverses of x; then

x′ = x′ + o = x′ + (x + x″) = (x′ + x) + x″ = o + x″ = x″.
For example, since addition of real numbers is associative, each real number has a unique
additive inverse.

Other examples
All the following examples are in fact abelian groups:

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12/30/2017 Additive inverse - Wikipedia
complex numbers: −(a + bi)  =  (−a) + (−b)i. On the complex plane, this operation
rotates a complex number 180 degrees around the origin (see the image above).
addition of real- and complex-valued functions: here, the additive inverse of a function f is
the function −f defined by (−f )(x) = − f (x) , for all x, such that f + (−f ) = o , the zero
function ( o(x) = 0 for all x ).
more generally, what precedes applies to all functions with values in an abelian group
('zero' meaning then the identity element of this group):
sequences, matrices and nets are also special kinds of functions.
In a vector space the additive inverse −v is often called the opposite vector of v; it has the
same magnitude as the original and opposite direction. Additive inversion corresponds to
scalar multiplication by −1. For Euclidean space, it is point reflection in the origin. Vectors
in exactly opposite directions (multiplied to negative numbers) are sometimes referred to
as antiparallel.

vector space-valued functions (not necessarily linear),

In modular arithmetic, the modular additive inverse of x is also defined: it is the number
a such that a + x ≡ 0 (mod n). This additive inverse always exists. For example, the
inverse of 3 modulo 11 is 8 because it is the solution to 3 + x ≡ 0 (mod 11).

Non­examples
Natural numbers, cardinal numbers, and ordinal numbers, do not have additive inverses
within their respective sets. Thus, for example, we can say that natural numbers do have
additive inverses, but because these additive inverses are not themselves natural numbers, the
set of natural numbers is not closed under taking additive inverses.

See also
Absolute value (related through the identity | −x | = | x | ).
Multiplicative inverse
Additive identity
Involution (mathematics)
Reflection symmetry

Footnotes
1. Tussy, Alan; Gustafson, R. (2012), Elementary Algebra (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=De4KAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40) (5th ed.), Cengage Learning, p. 40,
ISBN 9781133710790.
2. The term "negation" bears a reference to negative numbers, which can be misleading,
because the additive inverse of a negative number is positive.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_inverse 3/4
12/30/2017 Additive inverse - Wikipedia
Margherita Barile. "Additive Inverse" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/AdditiveInverse.html).
MathWorld.

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