Multiplication

In its most elementary form multiplication may be defined as repeated addition of whole numbers (integers).

For example, Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 2\times 3 } (spoken as "two times three") is the sum of 2 + 2 + 2.

In this example the numbers "2" and "3" are known as the factors and the result of a multiplication is knwon as the product.

Multiplication is a commutative operation in that A Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \times} B = B $\times$ A.

For example Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 3\times 2 } (spoken as "three times two") is the sum of 3 + 3 = 6.

Symbol

Several conventions are used to indicate multiplication.

• For simple numbers, the symbol (Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \times} ) used looks much like the letter "X", as in the examples above.
• Since the "X" looks like a letter, and letters are commonly used in algebra to indicate unknowns, or variables, the "dot" is frequently used: A • B = B • A.
• Alternatively a period may be used to denote multiplication
• Also, in algebraic use, quantities are simply juxtaposed to indicate that they are to be multiplied:

Y = 3aX + 4bZ

See also

• Multiplication Property of Equality
• Math