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Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center
RealAbs
  • See Also
    • Abs
    • Norm
    • Piecewise
    • Sign
    • RealSign
  • Related Guides
    • Numerical Functions
    • Elementary Functions
    • Precollege Education
    • GPU Computing
    • GPU Computing with NVIDIA
    • GPU Computing with Apple
    • See Also
      • Abs
      • Norm
      • Piecewise
      • Sign
      • RealSign
    • Related Guides
      • Numerical Functions
      • Elementary Functions
      • Precollege Education
      • GPU Computing
      • GPU Computing with NVIDIA
      • GPU Computing with Apple

RealAbs[x]

gives the absolute value of the real number x.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Numerical Evaluation  
Specific Values  
Visualization  
Function Properties  
Differentiation and Integration  
Applications  
Properties & Relations  
Neat Examples  
See Also
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page
BUILT-IN SYMBOL
  • See Also
    • Abs
    • Norm
    • Piecewise
    • Sign
    • RealSign
  • Related Guides
    • Numerical Functions
    • Elementary Functions
    • Precollege Education
    • GPU Computing
    • GPU Computing with NVIDIA
    • GPU Computing with Apple
    • See Also
      • Abs
      • Norm
      • Piecewise
      • Sign
      • RealSign
    • Related Guides
      • Numerical Functions
      • Elementary Functions
      • Precollege Education
      • GPU Computing
      • GPU Computing with NVIDIA
      • GPU Computing with Apple

RealAbs

RealAbs[x]

gives the absolute value of the real number x.

Details

  • RealAbs is also known as modulus.
  • Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
  • RealAbs[x] is effectively equivalent to Piecewise[{{x,x>=0}},-x].
  • RealAbs is continuous and differentiable everywhere except at the origin.
  • RealAbs[x] is left unevaluated if x is not a numeric quantity.
  • RealAbs automatically threads over lists. »
  • RealAbs can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (4)

Positive numbers:

Negative numbers:

Plot RealAbs over a subset of the reals:

Derivative of RealAbs:

Indefinite integral:

Scope  (29)

Numerical Evaluation  (6)

Evaluate numerically:

RealAbs remains unevaluated for imaginary numbers:

Evaluate to high precision:

The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:

Evaluate efficiently at high precision:

Compute the elementwise values of an array using automatic threading:

Or compute the matrix RealAbs function using MatrixFunction:

Compute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:

Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:

Specific Values  (5)

Values of RealAbs at particular points:

Value at zero:

Values at infinity:

Evaluate symbolically:

Find values of for which TemplateBox[{x}, RealAbs]=2:

Substitute in the value of to create pairs:

Visualize the result:

Visualization  (3)

Plot TemplateBox[{{1, +, x}}, RealAbs]:

Plot RealAbs along with its first derivative:

Plot RealAbs in three dimensions:

Function Properties  (10)

RealAbs is defined only for real inputs:

The range of RealAbs is the non-negative reals:

RealAbs is an even function:

RealAbs is not an analytic function:

It has a singularity at the origin but no discontinuities:

RealAbs is neither nondecreasing nor nonincreasing:

RealAbs is not injective:

RealAbs is not surjective:

RealAbs is non-negative:

RealAbs is convex:

TraditionalForm formatting:

Differentiation and Integration  (5)

First derivative:

Obtain an equivalent expression using the definition of derivative:

The function Abs of complex variables is not differentiable:

Higher derivatives:

Compute the indefinite integral using Integrate:

Verify the antiderivative:

Definite integral:

More integrals:

Applications  (7)

Color plots according to RealAbs:

Solve a differential equation with RealAbs:

Compute the Fourier cosine series of RealAbs:

Compute a series involving RealAbs:

Solve an equation involving RealAbs:

Prove an inequality containing RealAbs:

Simplify expressions containing RealAbs:

Properties & Relations  (8)

RealAbs is defined only for real numbers:

Abs is defined for complex numbers:

RealAbs is a differentiable function:

Abs is not differentiable:

RealAbs is an integrable function:

Abs is integrable only for real arguments:

RealAbs is idempotent:

Definite integration:

Integral transforms:

Convert into Piecewise:

Denest:

Neat Examples  (1)

Form nested functions involving RealAbs:

See Also

Abs  Norm  Piecewise  Sign  RealSign

Related Guides

    ▪
  • Numerical Functions
  • ▪
  • Elementary Functions
  • ▪
  • Precollege Education
  • ▪
  • GPU Computing
  • ▪
  • GPU Computing with NVIDIA
  • ▪
  • GPU Computing with Apple

History

Introduced in 2017 (11.1) | Updated in 2021 (13.0)

Wolfram Research (2017), RealAbs, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html (updated 2021).

Text

Wolfram Research (2017), RealAbs, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html (updated 2021).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2017. "RealAbs." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2017). RealAbs. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_realabs, author="Wolfram Research", title="{RealAbs}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html}", note=[Accessed: 01-December-2025]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_realabs, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={RealAbs}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RealAbs.html}, note=[Accessed: 01-December-2025]}

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