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Sometimes when writing math you realize that a minus should be a plus, or vice versa. For the former, it's quite easy to convert the $-$ into a $+$. You simply need to add a vertical line through it.

For a plus that you want to turn into a minus, it's not that easy. Here are some things you could do:

  1. You could add a minus next to it, because $+-=-$. However, a lot of the time you don't have the space to do so! It also makes it a bit more confusing sometimes than it should be.
  2. You could cross out the plus and then put a minus above it. This makes it messy, but other than that it's the best of the two options.
  3. Of course, you can always cross everything out and start over again, but this is something that I'm trying to avoid (hence the question!).

So my question is, is there any sort of sign that indicates a minus that you can easily convert a plus into? I was thinking something like $\boxplus$. It would be very easy to convert a $+$ into a $\boxplus$ simply by boxing it, but I would have to define $\boxplus$ to mean a $-$ and then explain that to my teacher so that I didn't get any weird looks. Is there any symbol which mathematicians use for this? What is your preferred method of changing a plus to a minus?

Also I wanted to add, this does seem a bit like a trivial question, and it is, but I have wondered it for a few years now and I couldn't think of a better community to ask! It's just curiosity.

Skeleton Bow
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    My preferred method: using $\LaTeX$ and hitting "backspace". – Kaj Hansen Oct 04 '16 at 21:33
  • @KajHansen Sorry if I wasn't clear – I meant writing math on paper :) – Skeleton Bow Oct 04 '16 at 21:33
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    There's this new fangled bit of high technology called an eraser that you might want to take a look at. ;p –  Oct 04 '16 at 21:34
  • I would just erase it... I believe that erasing the addition sign is going to be a bit more time efficient than manipulating it into a minus sign. – Frank Oct 04 '16 at 21:34
  • @Bye_World Hah! Maybe I should start using erasable pens then. Unfortunately their ink runs out too quickly! – Skeleton Bow Oct 04 '16 at 21:35
  • This is what erasing and crossing out are for. – Matt Samuel Oct 04 '16 at 21:35
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    When doing math you should probably be using a pencil rather than a pen. I use a mechanical pencil because then I don't have to deal with sharpening. Anywho, as amusing as this question is, I'm voting to close as off-topic. –  Oct 04 '16 at 21:38
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    My teacher scratches out those plus signs all the time. Then she writes the minus sign on top. – Simply Beautiful Art Oct 04 '16 at 21:41
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    In that case I thicken the horizontal bar of the +. It's ugly but at least I understand myself. – Augustin Oct 04 '16 at 21:42
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    @Bye_World but, what happens if you are in a hurry and far away of an eraser? Then we can use the finger with a bit of spit. High skill required, of course xD – Masacroso Oct 04 '16 at 21:58

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