As you are right with the general simplicity of additive solutions, it is in differential maths where many great insights have come from.

* Infinitesimal differences or to the derivatives of functions in calculus, differential geometry, algebraic geometry and algebraic topology.

* General relativity with it's underlying differential geometry and differential topology for manifolds, pullbacks and covariant derivatives or differentials of vector fields and tensor fields

* Difference in differences between treatment group versus a control group

I couldn't imagine what our understanding of the world would be like without subtractive solutions.