In
mathematics, the
absolute value (or
modulus) | 
a | of a
real number a is the numerical value of a without regard to its
sign. So, for example, the absolute value of 3 is 3, and the absolute value of –3 is also 3. The absolute value of a
number may be thought of as its
distance from zero.
Generalizations of the absolute value for real numbers occur in a wide variety of mathematical settings. For example an absolute value
is also defined for the
complex numbers, the
quaternions,
ordered rings,
fields and
vector spaces. The absolute value is closely related to the notions of
magnitude,
distance, and
norm in various mathematical and physical contexts.
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