what does commutative mean
in algebra
In algebra, the term "commutative" refers to a property of operations (such as addition and multiplication) where changing the order of the operands does not change the result.
For example, addition is commutative because for any two numbers a and b, a + b = b + a. This means that the order in which we add the numbers does not affect the sum.
Similarly, multiplication is commutative because for any two numbers a and b, a * b = b * a. This means that the order in which we multiply the numbers does not affect the product.
On the other hand, subtraction and division are not commutative operations. For example, subtracting a number from another is not the same as subtracting that other number from the first, and dividing a number by another is not the same as dividing that other number by the first.