What is the purpose for absolute value?

Answer 1

The absolute value defines a number's distance from the origin, so in the case of real numbers, is the non-negative value of a number. They are often used for real world applications in math and science, where negative solutions are impossible, especially in geometry, or where they are simply unhelpful, as seen in the case of absolute deviation, a function that finds the amount numbers vary from an average, absolute value is important because only the numbers' distance from the average is wanted.