Ok so, if 'x' in 1 divided by 'x'......?

Question

......is the reciprocal or the multiplicative inverse then what is 'x', in 1 minus 'x'?

I had asked similar question just a moment ago, but clearly I wasn't elaborate enough...

cheers!
Zen

Answer 1

I don't think there is a special name for what you're describing, but I'm not sure I properly understand. In the expression "1 divided by x," x is not the inverse. x is the denominator or divisor. But 1/x is the reciprocal (or multiplicative inverse) of x. However, in the expression "1 minus x," the only word available to describe x is "subtrahend," an extremely rare word that is almost never used. (In the expression a - b = c, a is the "minuend," b is the "subtrahend," and c is the "difference." But "minuend" "subtrahend" are highly pedantic terms that nobody would use in conversation or even in a modern text.) But 1 - x doesn't describe a special relationship, unlike 1/x defining the reciprocal. The additive inverse of x is 0 - x = -x, not 1 - x.

Answer 2

It's not a strict relationship. -x is the negative of x.

The problem is that 1/x is really the reciprocal of x/1. When you talk about x and 1 - x, there isn't a one in the first expression to compare with it.

Answer 3

"x" would be the subtrahend, and "1" would be the minuend

Answer 4

exactly