commutative law

noun

, Logic.

1. a law asserting that the order in which certain logical operations are performed is indifferent.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commutative law¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

As a quantum physicist he would have been acutely aware that at the deepest level, nature disobeys the commutative law.

From Scientific American

Even after the relevance of the commutative law has been pointed out, some bloggers don’t accept it.

From Scientific American

Maybe we’re wired to doubt the commutative law because in daily life, it usually matters what you do first.

From Scientific American

Without that breakdown of the commutative law, there would be no Heisenberg uncertainty principle, atoms would collapse, and nothing would exist.

From Scientific American

Fair enough, but that begs the question I’d like to explore in some depth here: Is this commutative law of multiplication, a × b = b × a, really so obvious?

From Scientific American