In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line is a number that describes the direction and steepness of the line. Often denoted by the letter m, slope is calculated as the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between two distinct points on the line, giving the same number for any choice of points. A line descending left-to-right has negative rise and negative slope. The line may be physical – as set by a road surveyor, pictorial as in a diagram of a road or roof, or abstract.