`abs()` is a built-in function in Python 3, to compute the absolute value of any number. The absolute value of a number "means only how far a number is from 0" <sup>1</sup> It takes one argument `x`. The argument can even be a <ahref='https://docs.python.org/3.0/library/cmath.html'target='_blank'rel='nofollow'>complex number</a>, and in that case its <ahref='http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/resources/sigma%20complex%20number%20leaflets/sigma-complex9-2009-1.pdf'target='_blank'rel='nofollow'>modulus</a> is returned.
## Argument
It takes one argument `x` - an integer, or decimal, or a complex number.
The return value would be a positive number or zero. Even if a complex number is passed, it would return its magnitude, computed as per complex number algebra.