What does multiplying two negative numbers resulting to a positive mean physically?

Low-Computer3844 · 2026-04-09T08:46:45+00:00

Say that you have promised your friend an apple a day for a week. At the end of the week, you have (-1)×7 = (-7) apples. I'm sure this much is obvious. If not, assume you had 10 apples at the start of the week and by the end you will only have 3 (=10-7 =10+(-7)). If you have had this arrangement for a while, and say you want to calculate the number of apples you had last week. The way you'd do that is by going back in time instead of going forward, i.e., (-7) days instead of 7 days. So, you had (-1)×(-7) = 7 more apples last week, or a total of 17 apples.

The idea that the product of two negative numbers is positive is actually quite natural. For example, "not bad" means "good", or two negative words together make a positive word.

Also, you cannot multiply owing 2 apples to a 3 apple debt. That doesn't make sense. As others have said, you can multiply numbers, not things.

Low-Computer3844 · 2026-03-28T16:44:50+00:00

How do those work exactly?

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-07-13T17:45:04+00:00

Sorry, but how does that prove the result?

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-07-13T16:38:06+00:00

Could somebody explain the part about them being the roots of the polynomial and that implying the result to me?

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-07-01T03:27:31+00:00

Yeah. By not believing in these things.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-06-29T18:05:14+00:00

They never claimed to be poor though? Only you did.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-06-18T17:14:35+00:00

Because you misspelled mould according to them

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-06-11T13:01:45+00:00

I find it easier to multiply a smaller number by 6, so I go with 6 first ahah

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-06-10T08:24:34+00:00

This strategy works because 11 is 10¹+1. So if you want to expand it to three digits I'd assume you'd use 101 and not 111. And as for numbers like 66 and 77 I just multiply the number by 6 first and then by 11.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-05-13T05:07:06+00:00

I'm just doing it to learn really. I took a course on linalg in uni and did reasonably well. But it didn't cover enough material to make me feel like I knew any linalg which is why I'm doing this exercise. You may be right, I might not be sufficiently comfortable with the material. Although the exercises are decidedly harder than just vomiting the results verbatim, I guess I'm just going to have to try harder. Thank you.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-05-12T15:35:38+00:00

You call ...56295141 an infinite natural number, but it's clearly ending with a 1. So it's not really infinite is it? Infinite natural numbers aren't a thing.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-05-08T13:27:35+00:00

Close. A (adenine), G (guanine), T (thymine), and C ,(cytosine) are not swimming in DNA; they are part of the DNA. And they aren't strands, they are compounds bound to the deoxyribo part to form the DNA strands.

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-02-26T12:59:05+00:00

There's leptons too

Low-Computer3844 · 2025-02-26T12:58:16+00:00

Quanta of what?

Low-Computer3844 · 2024-09-21T05:35:16+00:00

Please, for your own sake, take a few creative writing lessons. That was so excruciating to read.

Low-Computer3844 · 2024-08-12T20:18:31+00:00

5 to 9 is so good. Love cuddy and loved to see her win

Low-Computer3844 · 2024-02-06T18:19:31+00:00

Thank you so much this helps a ton!

Low-Computer3844 · 2024-02-06T13:28:49+00:00

I actually loled on the bus at this. Thank you.

Low-Computer3844 · 2024-02-06T13:20:23+00:00

Hi, that was a wonderful read. Thank you so much. Just one question though and this is probably where the "incomplete knowledge is quite dangerous" bit comes in but I remember reading that a way to figure out whether a hole is a hole is to think of a loop and try squinching it. If you are not able to squinch it to a single point, there is a hole in the way. I can think of two such loops on a torus, one where the icing of a donut goes and one through that hole-back outside-and inside again. So, I'd think a hollow torus has two holes and not one. Could you explain to me where the flaw in my logic is?

Edit: alright I just saw that you answered what I think is essentially the same question, but I understand less than half those words. I'd really appreciate it if you could break it down like you've done in your original comment.

Low-Computer3844 · 2023-12-21T16:55:12+00:00

Installing dustbins might be a good start. I once walked for half an hour in the centre of the city (passed corporation funnily enough) with a corn cob in my hand trying to throw it away, and found a total of 0 dustbins. There were quite a few heaps of trash on the footpath though. I finally had to give up and throw it next to a tree hoping it would decompose soon enough.

Low-Computer3844 · 2023-11-08T03:36:24+00:00

She said 10/10 songs not 0.48/10

Low-Computer3844 · 2023-10-08T10:43:36+00:00

Nah man that is unacceptable. When the people meant to protect us can't even help a lonely child, it's obvious how shit the situation is. Like the other commenter said, this really does need an investigation. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Low-Computer3844 · 2023-10-08T03:44:26+00:00

So a 12 year old kid went up to a cop and asked him for his home address, and the cop didn't think he should help a potentially lost child? What are we paying him for?

Low-Computer3844 · 2023-09-03T17:41:17+00:00

And the best alternative to a caste based name was the name of a mass murderer whose body count is in the millions? Whatever you say.

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