What does "Abelian" mean?

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Abelian refers to a type of mathematical group where the order of operations does not matter. In simpler terms, if you take two elements from this group and combine them, switching their order will still give you the same result.

For example, if you have two numbers, 3 and 5, adding them together gives you 8, regardless of the order: 3 + 5 = 5 + 3 = 8.

In the context of groups, being abelian can make it easier to study their properties and relationships. This concept is important in various fields of mathematics, including number theory and algebra, and helps in understanding more complex structures.