1.2 Fundamental Operations of Algebra
Fundamental Laws of Algebra • Operations on Positive and Negative Numbers • Order of Operations • Operations with Zero
If two numbers are added, it does not matter in which order they are added. (For example, and or ) This statement, generalized and accepted as being correct for all possible combinations of numbers being added, is called the commutative law for addition. It states that the sum of two numbers is the same, regardless of the order in which they are added. We make no attempt to prove this law in general, but accept that it is true.
In the same way, we have the associative law for addition, which states that the sum of three or more numbers is the same, ...
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