Thanks for clarifying. You can measure AC using peak-to-peak, peak, or RMS. What you described is peak-to-peak. That is where you measure the most positive and the most negative points, add the together (ignoring the negative sign). Peak is just one side, either the positive or negative. You already know the RMS. To convert, you divide peak-to-peak by 2 and multiply by .707 = RMS. I'm sure you can calculate RMS from peak. And this is based on if you are generating a pure sine wave. The calculation is different if you have a square or a saw tooth wave. You are correct that for certain things you need to evaluate the circuit in a DC rather then an AC value. But if you deal in radio transmission, you need to understand how DC is used to set a 'Q' point so you can correctly bias a transistor. The AC is the signal you are trying to amplify. It sounds somewhat convoluted but if you understand the basics (e.g. ohm's law, kirchhoff's and thevenin's theorem) it becomes easier.
Yes, I enjoy bantering with you and hope to do more in the future. Have a good evening.