What's the difference between 324 and 613

It is very nice to meet you Adrienne.  

This is a question that crops up from time to time.

To me if I am asked for "the difference between A and B" I interprete that as an absolute value.

so |A-B|=|B-A|=big one - little one.

However, I think other mathematicians may disagree with me.   

The distance between them is 289, but their difference is -289, because you said 324 before 613.