Are Negative Numbers Allowed?
No, negative numbers are not allowed in the game Equate. The symbol – in this game is a subtraction symbol, not a negative symbol. For example, the expression -5 that represents a negative number in mathematics is not allowed in this game. As a subtraction symbol, the symbol – is always placed between two numbers. Because the subtraction result is not allowed to be a negative number, players must position numbers about the subtraction symbol in such a way that the result is a positive number or zero. Here are examples. Valid Equations 15 – 12 = 3 7 – 7 = 2 x 3 – 6 Each side equals 3. Each side equals 0. Invalid Equations 3 – 5 = 2 The left side equals – 2, not 2. Invalid for Equate, but True Equality Statements – 5 = – 5 Negative numbers are not allowed. 4 – 6 + 7 = 5 Both sides equal 5, a positive number; however, when computing the left side one encounters the negative number -2.
