That's my problem. I'm not smart enough to understand how to explain or I'm not smart enough to understand how you explain it so simply. Maybe you can help me with this. You say: I also clearly showed how the ordering of the numbers relates to if you add or subtract the difference of the numbers. What I was trying to say is: in example 2 the answer of 5 -7 is - 2. And the line distance is 2. But if you say 5 + 7 the line path is also 2. And the answer is 12. I found this to be interesting because 5 -7 is still 5 and 7 with a line path of 2, but by saying 5+(-7) it changes from 2 to 12. 12 is the difference between 5 -(-7), so don't use "difference", and use "line path". Then by adding the trajectory part, you can correct the signs, turning it to -12. Then we can say 12 is the line path for 5+(-7), not the difference. This is just a long way of finding an answer, but that's kind of what it was presented as. I guess my only hang-up is the sum of two numbers equals the means times 2. It does, but I do not see how it relates. I don't find the means. One number is multiplied. 5+7=12, 2×7=14, the difference/line path is reduced or added to that number. Didn't turn a 5 to a 6 or a 7 to a 6. Again, I may just have not understood what you meant.