Subtract Two Numbers Without Minus Operator in C

✅ C Program to Subtract Two Numbers Without Using Minus Operator

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int a, b;
    printf("Enter two numbers (a - b):\n");
    scanf("%d %d", &a, &b);

    while (b != 0) {
        int borrow = (~a) & b;   // borrow calculation
        a = a ^ b;               // subtraction using XOR
        b = borrow << 1;         // shift borrow to left
    }

    printf("Difference is: %d\n", a);
    return 0;
}
  

📘 Explanation:

This program performs subtraction without using the minus (-) operator. Instead, it uses bitwise operators:

• borrow = (~a) & b → Finds the borrow bits.
• a = a ^ b → Performs subtraction without borrow.
• b = borrow << 1 → Shifts borrow to the correct place.
• The loop continues until no borrow is left.

🧾 Sample Output:

Enter two numbers (a - b):
15 7
Difference is: 8
  

🔑 Keywords:

C program subtraction without minus, bitwise subtraction in C, subtraction without arithmetic operator, coding interview bitwise questions

📌 Hashtags:

#CProgramming #BitwiseOperators #Subtraction #InterviewPrep #LearnC

🔍 Search Description:

Learn how to subtract two numbers in C without using minus operator. Uses XOR, AND, NOT, and shift operations. Explained with code and output.