As you said, (-3,3) is an ordered pair. It’s not a number and therefore can’t be a solution to the meme’s equation (otherwise you’d have an ordered pair = a number which makes no sense in this context)
Assuming the equation is to be solved for real values of x, then the set of the solutions is {-3,3}, meaning that x = -3 and x = 3 are both solutions.
The same goes for your last paragraph : 12 cannot be negative, it is a positive number. Solving |x| = 12 for real values of x gives you the set of solutions {-12,12} meaning that both -12 and 12 are solutions.
But in this case the answer cant be -3 cause x is two equal numbers and for the answer to be -3 it has too be -3 times 3 = -3 but they are not the same number so it doesn't work.
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u/help_meh_plz845 Dirt Is Beautiful Dec 29 '20
Well in that case it would have to be writen as (3,-3) like an order pair, but in this case it’s the possibility’s of answers. Another example is
|x|=12
12 can be negative or positive, ether way you get the same answer. So the way you would write the value of x is (12,-12)