Question 163374
if i understand you correctly, the problem is:
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y = |x+2| - 1
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the equation presented was already solved.
there was nothing else that could be done to simplify it further.
not that i could see.
all that was needed to do was plot some points and graph it.
i graphed it as is.
the answer will go negative because the -1 is outside the absolute value symbols.  i believe that's what you meant when you showed it.
plot some points yourself from x = -5 to x = 5 to see what's happening.
graph of this equation looks like this:
{{{graph(800,800,-20,20,-5,40,abs(x+2)-1)}}}