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x-y

is equivalent to x+(-1*y).

Details
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Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Applications  
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Subtract

x-y

is equivalent to x+(-1*y).

Details

  • x-y is converted to x+(-1*y) on input.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (3)

Subtract numbers:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[10, 3]

Subtract expressions:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[a + b, c + d]

Subtract evaluates to Plus:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[a, b]//FullForm

Scope  (3)

If any number is approximate, the whole result will be:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[1, 0.3]

Subtracting complex numbers subtracts their components:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[2 + I, 1 - I]

Subtract threads element‐wise over lists:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract[{1, 2, 3, 5}, 0.5]

Applications  (1)

Find pairs of numbers that differ by an integer:

Wolfram Language code: SeedRandom[1]; a = RandomInteger[{-25, 25}, {3}] / 5; b = RandomInteger[{-25, 25}, {7}] / 5;
Wolfram Language code: Position[Outer[Subtract, a, b], _Integer, {2}]
Wolfram Language code: Extract[Outer[List, a, b], %]

Verify that their differences are integers:

Wolfram Language code: Subtract@@@%
Wolfram Research (1988), Subtract, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Subtract, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Subtract." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Subtract. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_subtract, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Subtract}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_subtract, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Subtract}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Subtract.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}