BigInteger subtract() Method in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
The java.math.BigInteger.subtract(BigInteger val) is used to calculate the Arithmetic difference of two BigIntegers. This method is applicable on large value numbers of range much greater than the range of biggest data type double of Java without compromising with the precision of the result but as BigInteger class internally uses array of integers for processing, the operation on object of BigIntegers are not as fast as on primitives. This method performs an operation upon the current BigInteger by which this method is called and BigInteger passed as the parameter. Syntax: 
public BigInteger subtract(BigInteger val)
Parameters: This method accepts a parameter val which is the value to be subtracted from this BigInteger. Return value: This method returns a BigInteger which holds difference (this - val). Below programs is used to illustrate the subtract() method of BigInteger. Example 1: java 
// Java program to demonstrate
// subtract() method of BigInteger

import java.math.BigInteger;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // BigInteger object to store result
        BigInteger diff;

        // For user input
        // Use Scanner or BufferedReader

        // Two objects of String created
        // Holds the values to calculate the difference
        String input1
            = "56454210032311316797946498748";
        String input2
            = "34664864678464621214565587864";

        // Convert the string input to BigInteger
        BigInteger a
            = new BigInteger(input1);
        BigInteger b
            = new BigInteger(input2);

        // Using subtract() method
        diff = a.subtract(b);

        // Display the result in BigInteger
        System.out.println("The difference of\n"
                           + a + " \nand\n" + b + " "
                           + "\nis\n" + diff);
    }
}
Output: 
The difference of
56454210032311316797946498748 
and
34664864678464621214565587864 
is
21789345353846695583380910884
Example 2: Java 
// Java program to demonstrate
// subtract() method of BigInteger

import java.math.BigInteger;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // BigInteger object to store result
        BigInteger diff;

        // For user input
        // Use Scanner or BufferedReader

        // Two objects of String created
        // Holds the values to calculate the difference
        String input1 = "012345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4554324324362432"
                        + "7674637264783264"
                        + "7832678463726478"
                        + "3264736274673864"
                        + "7364732463546354"
                        + "6354632564532645"
                        + "6325463546536453"
                        + "6546325463546534"
                        + "6325465345326456"
                        + "4635463263453264"
                        + "654632498739473";

        String input2 = "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345678901234567"
                        + "8901234567890123"
                        + "4567890123456789"
                        + "0123456789012345"
                        + "6789012345678901"
                        + "2345873271893718"
                        + "2974897146378481"
                        + "7489127847281478"
                        + "2174871248721847"
                        + "8748327463756475"
                        + "6745781641263981"
                        + "2839721897438974"
                        + "3286574365764576"
                        + "2376914689217817"
                        + "4362473624721647"
                        + "61247612748612746";

        // Convert the string input to BigInteger
        BigInteger a
            = new BigInteger(input1);
        BigInteger b
            = new BigInteger(input2);

        // Using subtract() method
        diff = a.subtract(b);

        // Display the result in BigInteger
        System.out.println("The difference of\n"
                           + a + " \nand\n" + b + " "
                           + "\nis\n" + diff);

        // Using double to hold  the result
        double d = Double.parseDouble(diff.toString());

        // Display the result in double
        System.out.println("Using double, difference is "
                           + d);
    }
}
Output:
The difference of 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234554324324362432767463726478326478326784637264783264736274673864736473246354635463546325645326456325463546536453654632546354653463254653453264564635463263453264654632498739473 and 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234587327189371829748971463784817489127847281478217487124872184787483274637564756745781641263981283972189743897432865743657645762376914689217817436247362472164761247612748612746 is -33002865009396981507737306491010801062644213434222388597510922746801391210121282235315618654827646726197360979211111111291108913660035764552871611899208711496592980249873273 Using double, difference is -3.300286500939698E172
As from the above examples, it is clear that the data is full precise when BigInteger is used. Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/12/docs/api/java.base/java/math/BigInteger.html#subtract(java.math.BigInteger)
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