A property of an operation where changing the grouping of operands does not change the result. For addition and multiplication: (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) and (a × b) × c = a × (b × c).
From Latin 'associatus,' past participle of 'associare' meaning to join or unite. The mathematical usage emerged in the 19th century during the systematic study of algebraic structures, as mathematicians recognized grouping as a fundamental aspect of operations.
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