Assootsiatiivne

Assootsiatiivne is an Estonian adjective used to denote the concept of associativity, a property of certain binary operations or relations where the grouping of operands does not affect the outcome. The term is connected to the broader idea of association and to the noun assotsiatsioon (association) and assotsiatiivsus (associativity). In standard mathematical and scientific usage, the form assotsiatiivne is more common.

In mathematical terms, a binary operation * on a set S is associative if for all a, b, c in S, (a * b) * c = a * (b * c). This property allows the omission of parentheses when performing multiple operations in sequence. Common examples include addition and multiplication of numbers, since (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) and (a × b) × c = a × (b × c). Not all operations are associative; subtraction and division, for instance, do not satisfy (a − b) − c = a − (b − c) in general.

The form assootsiatiivne is a relatively uncommon or nonstandard variant of assotsiatiivne and may be encountered as a typographical error or regional spelling variation. In formal Estonian texts, assotsiatiivne (and the related noun assotsiatiivsus) is preferred.

See also: associativity, associative property, algebraic structures such as groups and rings; related concepts include commutativity, which is a separate property.