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Plus or Minus


The symbol +/- is used to denote a quantity which should be both added and subtracted, as in a+/-b. The symbol can be used to denote a range of uncertainty, or to denote a pair of quantities, such as the roots given by the quadratic formula

 x_+/-=(-b+/-sqrt(b^2-4ac))/(2a).

When order is relevant, the symbol a∓b is also used, so an expression of the form x+/-y∓z is interpreted as x+y-z or x-y+z. In contrast, the expression x+/-y+/-z is interpreted to mean the set of four quantities x+y+z, x-y+z, x+y-z, and x-y-z.


See also

Minus, Minus Sign, Plus, Plus Sign, Sign

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Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Plus or Minus." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/PlusorMinus.html

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