Question 29276
1. -(-{-[-(2)]})


rather pointless question, but anyway :-)... what this means is the following:
-1*(-1*{-1*[-1*(2)]}). As to how we work it out...we start at the inner most brackets and work outwards,


so... -1*2...meaning -1*+2 is -2, so:
-1*(-1*{-1*(-2)})


-1*(-2) is? +2, so
-1*(-1*{2})


And -1*{2} is? answer is -2. So,
-1*(-2)


and finally, -1*(-2) is +2


so answer is +2.
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2. (4)(-3)?
this means (+4)*(-3)
+ and - make a -
4 and 3 are 12


--> answer is -12
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3. (-3)(-3)(-3)(-3) means
(-3)*(-3)*(-3)*(-3)


so, take it in bits:
first 2 terms are: (-3)*(-3) is +9
last two terms are the same

So we have 9*9 --> +81

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if x=6, y=-5


xy-y is
(6)(-5)-(-5) meaning
(+6)*(-5)-(-5)


So, (+6)*(-5) is -30, so we have -30-(-5)


we can also think of -(-5) as -1*(-5) --> +5, so we get -30+5 which is -25
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-ab-a
-(-4)(-5)-(-4)


you try this one... answer is -16


jon.