The expression a^(n-m) represents a mathematical operation where a base a is raised to the power of the difference between two integers n and m . In this context, a can be any real or complex number, while n and m are typically non-negative integers. This operation is commonly used in algebra and calculus to simplify expressions and solve equations. When calculating a^(n-m) , the exponent (n-m) indicates how many times the base a is multiplied by itself. If n is greater than m , the result is a positive power, while if n equals m , the result is 1 . If n is less than m , the result becomes a fraction or a negative power, depending on the values of a , n , and \(