SOLUTION: The difference between 8 times and number of 5

Question 1182872: The difference between 8 times and number of 5
Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by ikleyn(52792) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

It is not a complete English statement.

We can not consider it as a meaningful text.

Answer by greenestamps(13200) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

I will assume the statement is supposed to be "the difference between 8 times a number and 5",

The important part of this problem is to note the formal mathematical definition of "difference".

In everyday English, the difference between 5 and 10 is 5, and the difference between 10 and 5 is 5. That's because the usage does not distinguish between the larger and smaller number; the "difference" is taken to be a positive number.

That can't be the case in formal mathematics. In mathematical language, the "difference between A and B" is A-B. So in mathematical language, the difference between 5 and 10 is 5-10 = -5, while the difference between 10 and 5 is 10-5=5.

So your (corrected) statement is the difference between 8n and 5, which is

ANSWER: 8n-5

RELATED QUESTIONS
The difference between a square of a positive number and 5 times the number is... (answered by chibisan)
whats 8 times the difference between a number and 5 is equal to the number plus 2. whats... (answered by rjd41)
The difference between 2 times a number and -8 is -12. Find the... (answered by uma)
9. The difference between 8 times a number and 17 is 231. Find the... (answered by MathTherapy)
7 times the square of the difference between a number and 5 is -252. Find the number(s). (answered by umnikmo)
the sum of five times a number and 7/8 is equal to the difference between six times a... (answered by rfer)
a certain number of two digit 8 times of sum of digit. the difference between the number... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
the difference between 6 times a number and 9 isequal to 5 times the sum of the number... (answered by The_Teacher)
Six times the square of the difference between a number and 5 is -96. Find the... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com,ikleyn)