If you mean integers, well if you have two integers of the same sign that you are adding, add and the sign stays the same. If you have different signs, subtract and keep the sign of the one that has more. Regular numbers you just add them.
Adding two numbers with different signs means subtracting the two absolute integers (without sign) and vice versa.
-- If the two integers have the same sign, their quotient is positive. -- If the two integers have different signs, their quotient is negative.
The answer depends on what you wish to DO with them.
Add their magnitudes, and keep the same sign for the sum.
-- If they both start out with the same sign (both negative or both positive), then do this: . . . . . add their two values . . . . . the answer has the same sign as the two original integers. -- If they start out with opposite signs (one negative and one positive), then do this: . . . . . forget about the signs . . . . . find their difference (subtract the smaller number from the larger one) . . . . . give it the sign of whichever original integer was the larger number.
-- Their sum and difference both have the same sign that the two integers have. -- Their product and quotient are both positive.
You subtract the smaller from the larger and give the answer the sign of the number with the larger absolute value.
Subtract the number with the smaller absolute value from the other. Give the answer the sign of the number with the larger absolute value.
If the signs are the same, add the absolute values and keep the sign. If the signs are different, subtract the lesser absolute value from the greater absolute value and keep the sign of the number with the greater absolute value.
You get a product which is positive.
The product of the two numbers is them multiplied together.