Asked for the greatest of -12, -3 and -20, a learner answers -20. Which value is actually the greatest?

توضیح

The greatest of several negatives is the one standing furthest right, and only three steps separate that mark from zero while the other two lie far to its left. The learner picked the biggest digit string, which finds the value furthest from zero and therefore the smallest of the three, and setting the minus signs aside altogether names a size rather than any of the values on offer.