Final answer:
The absolute change in stolen bicycles from 2016 to 2017 is the difference in the number of stolen bicycles between these two years, calculated by subtracting the 2016 figure from the 2017 figure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term absolute change refers to the simple difference in value between two numbers over time. In the context of comparing stolen bicycles from 2016 to 2017, the absolute change can be calculated with the formula: The number of bicycles stolen in 2017 minus the number stolen in 2016. To find this, you would take the number of stolen bicycles reported in 2017 and subtract the number reported in 2016. The result will give you the absolute change in stolen bicycles between the two years if it is a positive number, or if it is a negative number, it will indicate that fewer bicycles were stolen in 2017 compared to 2016.