leftdistributivity

Left-distributivity is a property of binary operations in algebra. A binary operation denoted by '*' is said to be left-distributive over another binary operation denoted by '⋅' if the following equation holds for all elements a, b, and c in the set on which the operations are defined: a * (b ⋅ c) = (a * b) ⋅ (a * c).

This property means that when the first operation is applied to a first operand and the result of the second operation applied to two other operands, it is equivalent to applying the first operation between the first operand and the second operand, and then applying the first operation between the first operand and the third operand, and finally combining these two results with the second operation.

A common example of left-distributivity is found in the arithmetic of real numbers. Multiplication is left-distributive over addition: a ⋅ (b + c) = (a ⋅ b) + (a ⋅ c). In this case, '*' is multiplication and '⋅' is addition.

However, not all operations are left-distributive. For instance, addition is not left-distributive over multiplication: a + (b ⋅ c) ≠ (a + b) ⋅ (a + c) in general. The existence or absence of left-distributivity is a fundamental characteristic that helps classify algebraic structures and understand the behavior of operations within them. The order of operations is crucial for left-distributivity to hold.