What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Associative vs Commutative - What's the difference?

associative | commutative |

As adjectives the difference between associative and commutative

is that associative is pertaining to, resulting from, or characterised by association; capable of associating; tending to associate or unite while commutative is (mathematics|of a binary operation) such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.

associative

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Pertaining to, resulting from, or characterised by association; capable of associating; tending to associate or unite.
  • such that, for any operands a, b, c , (a * b) * c = a * (b * c)
  • (computing) addressable by a key more complex than an integer index
    • Awk's associative arrays may be indexed by strings.
    Associative memories were once given considerable attention.

    Derived terms

    * antiassociative

    commutative

    English

    (commutative property)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (mathematics, of a binary operation) Such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.
    • ''Addition on the real numbers is commutative because for any real numbers s,t, it is true that s+t=t+s.
    Addition and multiplication are commutative operations but subtraction and division are not.
  • (algebra, of an algebraic structure) Having a commutative operation.
  • (mathematics, of a diagram of morphisms) Such that any two sequences of morphisms with the same initial and final positions compose to the same morphism.

    • Synonyms

    * (of an algebraic structure) abelian, Abelian

    Related terms

    * anticommutative * commutator * commute * commutative justice * commutative ring ----