In some fields, specification limits
of 2.5 in. max, 2.50 in. max, and 2.500 in. max are all taken to
imply the same absolute limit of exactly two and a half inches
and for purposes of determining conformance with
specifications, an observed value or a calculated value is to be
compared directly with the specified limit. Thus, any deviation,
however small, outside the specification limit signifies nonconformance
with the specifications. This will be referred to as the
absolute method, which is discussed in Section 5.