On associativity and commutativity (Q1434085)
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| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | On associativity and commutativity |
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On associativity and commutativity (English)
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1 July 2004
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Mathematicians of the past needed a rather long time to understand that commutativity, and even more associativity, are ``non-obvious'' properties for calculations. The author gives in an interesting way algebraic as well as philosophical explanations for this fact, and additionally intends to argue for a natural ranking which counts associativity as even more fundamental than commutativity.
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philosophy of mathematics
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basic laws of computation
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associativity
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commutativity
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