Vähennystoiminto

Vähennystoiminto, often referred to as subtraction in English, is a fundamental arithmetic operation. It is the inverse of addition. In simple terms, subtraction involves taking away a quantity from another quantity. The result of a subtraction is called the difference. The symbol used to denote subtraction is a hyphen or a minus sign (-).

For example, if you have five apples and you eat two of them, you are performing a subtraction. The operation would be written as 5 - 2. The result, or difference, is three apples. This can be expressed as 5 - 2 = 3. The number from which another number is subtracted is called the minuend, and the number being subtracted is called the subtrahend. In the example 5 - 2 = 3, 5 is the minuend and 2 is the subtrahend.

Subtraction can be performed on various types of numbers, including integers, rational numbers, and real numbers. It is a crucial concept in mathematics and is used extensively in everyday life, from calculating change to managing finances. The properties of subtraction are different from those of addition. For instance, subtraction is not commutative, meaning the order of the numbers matters (a - b is generally not equal to b - a). It is also not associative, meaning the grouping of numbers in a longer subtraction sequence can affect the outcome if not handled carefully.