3.

1 Introduction
In this section, we consider operations on a non-empty set “R” consisting of real
numbers, by which we combine any two numbers x, y  R to produce another number.
For instance, one element of N, the set {0, 1, 2 …}, may be added to another element of
that set to produce a third number, e.g. 2 + 5 = 7. Mathematical operation of addition (+)
has been performed on the numbers 2 and 5 to produce 7. Addition (+) is said to be a
binary operation on the set N of natural numbers because it combines two elements of the
set to produce a third number. Other basic operations that we are familiar with are
subtraction (–), multiplication (), division (), intersection () and union (). Apart
from these basic operations, we can devise many other binary operations. For instance,
we might define a binary operation  on the set R of real numbers by
a  b = 2a + b + ab
so that
(a) 3  5 = 2(3) + 5 + 3(5) = 6 + 5 + 15 = 26,
(b)
2
3
3
1*
=
      
2
3
3
1
2
3
3
1
2
=
2
1
2
3
3
2
=
8
3.
Example 3.1
A binary operation  is defined on the set R of real numbers by
ab=
2
2
2
ab
a


, where a, b  R.
Evaluate: (a) 2  3, (b) 3  2.
Solution
(a) 2  3 =
2
2(2) 3
22


=
1
6,
(b) 3  2 =
2
2(3) 2
32


=
4
11.
Example 3.2
The operation  is defined on the set S = {1, 3, 5} by Table 3.1 below
Table 3.1

1
3
5
1
3
1
5
3
1
3
5
5
5
5
5
C
C
CH
H
HA
A
AP
P
PT
T
TE
E
ER
R
R
T
T
TH
H
HR
R
RE
E
EE
E
E
Binary Operations
Binary Operations
Page 37
A
AK
KR
RO
ON
NG
G
S
SE
ER
RI
IE
ES
S
E
EL
LE
EC
CT
TI
IV
VE
E
M
MA
AT
TH
HE
EM
MA
AT
TI
IC
CS
S
Evaluate: (a) (3  1)  5, (b) 3  (1  5).
Solution
(a) (3  1)  5 = 1  5 = 5, (b) 3  (1  5) = 3  5 = 5.
Exercise 3(a)
1. A binary operation

is defined on the set R of real numbers by
2a b a b ab   
, where a, b  R.
Evaluate: (a) 2

3, (b) – 4

5, (c) 2

3

(–4)
2. A binary operation  is defined on the set R of real numbers by
x  y = 3x + 2y – xy, where x, y R
Evaluate: (a) 4  2, (b) 2  4.
3. A binary operation  is defined on the set R of real numbers by a  b =
ab
ba

,
a, b  0. Calculate: (a) 2  3, (b) 3  2, (c) 4  (–1).
4. An operation * is defined on the set of real numbers by m * n = m + n –
mn
2
1
Find: (a) 4 * 6, (b) 3 * 2, (c)
11
24
*.
5. The operation  is defined on the set R of positive real numbers by a  b =
22
ab
ab


.
Evaluate: (a) 2  3, (b) 1  4, (c)
11
24
.
6. A binary operation * is defined on the set R of real numbers by
x * y = xy2 + x2y where x, y  R
Evaluate: (a) 2 * 4, (b) 5 * (–2).
3.2 Closure
Suppose the binary operation * is defined on the set R of real numbers by
a * b = a + b + 2ab..Then for any two real numbers x and y, when they are combined
using the binary operation *, that is x * y = x + y + 2xy, the result is always another real
number. For example, 3 and 4 are two distinct real numbers. When they are combined,
the result, that is 3 * 4 = 3 + 4 + 2(3)(4) = 31, is also a real number. The set R is therefore
said to be closed under the binary operation *.
Definition 3.1 (Closure)
A set R is said to be closed with respect to a binary operation * if for any
two elements a, b  R, a * b produces an element which belongs to R. That is,
a * b  R for all a, b  R.
Binary Operations
Page 38
A
AK
KR
RO
ON
NG
G
S
SE
ER
RI
IE
ES
S
E
EL
LE
EC
CT
TI
IV
VE
E
M
MA
AT
TH
HE
EM
MA
AT
TI
IC
CS
S
Example 3.3
Supposing the binary operation * is defined on the set T = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} by
a * b = a + b + 2ab. 2, 3  T but 2 * 3 = 2 + 3 + 2(2)(3) = 17  T. Even though 2 and 3
are both elements of T, however 3 * 2 = 17 does not belong to the set T. Hence we can
conclude that the set T is not closed under the operation *.
Example 3.4
3.3 Properties of binary operation
Several properties of binary operation have well established names. Three of these
properties are commutative operation, associative operation and distributive operations.
3.3.1 Commutative operations
Addition (+) and multiplication () are both commutative since for all a, b  R,
a + b = b + a and a  b = b  a. The union () and the intersection () are both
commutative since for any two sets A and B, A  B = B  A and A  B = B  A.
Definition 3.2 (Commutative operation)
Example 3.5
The operation * is defined on the set of real numbers R by a * b = a + b + 2ab.
Show that * is commutative.
Solution
a * b = a + b + 2ab……….(1)
b * a = b + a + 2ba
= a + b + 2ab ……… (2) [Since ba = ba and b + a = a + b]
From (1) and (2), a * b = b * a for all a , b  R. Hence the operation * is commutative.
Example 3.6
The operation  is defined on the set R of real numbers by x  y = x – y + 3xy.
Table 3.2

a
b
c
d
a
b
d
a
c
b
d
c
b
a
c
a
b
c
d
d
c
a
d
b
Table 3.2 defines the operation  on the set S = {a, b, c, d}.
The set S is closed with respect to  since when any two elements
of S are combined, the result is always an element of S. That is,
for any pair of elements x, y  S  x  y  S.
a  b  S, a  c  S, a  d  S,
b  c  S, b  d  S, c  d  S.
A binary operation * defined on a set “R” of real numbers is said to be
commutative if a * b = b * a , for all a , b R.
Binary Operations
Page 39
A
AK
KR
RO
ON
NG
G
S
SE
ER
RI
IE
ES
S
E
EL
LE
EC
CT
TI
IV
VE
E
M
MA
AT
TH
HE
EM
MA
AT
TI
IC
CS
S
Solution
x  y = x – y + 3xy ……………………………………………………………(1)
y  x = y – x + 3yx ……………………………………………………………(2)
Since subtraction is not commutative it follows that x – y  y – x and therefore
x  y  y  x. Hence the operation  is not commutative.
Example 3.7
Refer to Table 3.2. The operation  is commutative on the set S since for every pair of
elements x, y  S, x  y = y  x. That is,
a  b = b  a = d, a  c = c  a = a, a  d = d  a = c,
b  c = c  b = b, b  d = d  b = a, c  d = d  c = d.
3.3.2 Associative operations
Addition (+) and multiplication () are both associative since for all a, b, c  R,
(a + b) + c = b + (a + c) and (a  b)  c = b  (a  c). The union () and the
intersection () are also associative since for any three sets A, B and C,
(A  B)  C = A  (B  C) and (A  B)  C = A  (B  C).
Definition 3.3 (Associative operation)
Example 3.8
The operation  is defined over the set of real numbers “R” by a  b =
1
2.a b ab
Find
(a) (2  3)  4, (b) 6  (2  5).
Solution
(i) (2  3)  4 =

1
2
2 3 (2)(3)
 4 [Note:
1
2
2 3 (2)(3)
= 8]
=84=
1
2
8 4 (8)(4)
= 28.
(i) 6  (2  5) = 6 

1
2
2 5 (2)(5)
[Note:
1
2
2 5 (2)(5)
= 12]
= 6  12 =
1
2
6 12 (6)(12)
= 54.
Example 3.9
Show that the operation * defined over the set of real numbers “R” is associative, where
a * b = a + b + ab.
A binary operation * defined on a closed set R is said to be associative if for every
a, b, c, R, (a * b) * c = a * (b * c).
Binary Operations
Page 40
A
AK
KR
RO
ON
NG
G
S
SE
ER
RI
IE
ES
S
E
EL
LE
EC
CT
TI
IV
VE
E
M
MA
AT
TH
HE
EM
MA
AT
TI
IC
CS
S
Solution
(a * b) * c = (a + b + ab) * c
= (a + b + ab) + c + (a + b + ab)c
= a + b + ab + c + ac + bc + abc
= a + b + c + ab + ac + bc + abc……………………………...(1)
a * (b * c) = a * (b + c + bc)
= a + (b + c + bc) + a(b + c + bc)
= a + b + c + bc + ab + ac + abc
= a + b + c + ab + ac + bc + abc……………………………...(2)
Comparing (1) and (2) it follows that (a * b) * c = a * (b * c ) for all a , b , c  R.
Hence the operation * is associative.
3.3.3 Distributive operations
Definition 3.4 (Distributive operations)
For example, multiplication () is distributive over addition (+) since for all a, b, c R
a  (b + c) = (a  b) + (a  c) written as a(b + c) = ab + ac.
Example 3.10
The operation  is defined on the set R of real numbers by a  b = ab + a.
Determine whether or not the operation  is associative.
Solution
(a  b)  c = (ab + a)  c = (ab + a)c + (ab + a) = abc + ac + ab + a
= a + ab + ac + abc ……………………………………………………(1)
a  (b  c) = a  (bc + b) = a(bc + b) + a = abc + ab + a
= a + ab + abc …………………………………………………………(2)
From (1) and (2) (a  b)  c  a  (b  c) and therefore the operation  is not associative.
Example 3.11
The operation  is defined on the set of non-zero rational numbers by
ab=
ab
ab

.
Determine whether  is; (a) commutative, (b) associative. June 1998.
Solution
(a) Let Q denote the set of non-zero rational numbers.
Let * and  be two binary operations both defined on the closed set “R”
consisting of real numbers. We say the operation * is distributive over  if for all
a, b, c  R, a * (b  c) = (a * b)  (a * c).
Binary Operations
Page 41
A
AK
KR
RO
ON
NG
G
S
SE
ER
RI
IE
ES
S
E
EL
LE
EC
CT
TI
IV
VE
E
M
MA
AT
TH
HE
EM
MA
AT
TI
IC
CS
S
The operation  is commutative if for all a , b  Q, a  b = b  a
ab=
ab
ab

and b  a =
.
ba
ba

Since addition (+) and multiplication () are both commutative it follows that
a  b = b  a. Hence the operation  is commutative.
(b) The operation  is said to be associative if for all a , b, c  Q,
(a  b)  c = a  (b  c)
(a  b)  c =
ab
ab

c=


ab
ab
ab
ab
c
c



=
()
a b abc
ab
abc
ab


=
bcac
abcba


.....................(1)
a  (b  c ) = a 
bc
bc

=


bc
bc
bc
bc
a
a



=
()
abc b c
bc
abc
bc


=
acab
cbabc


…………...(2)
It follows from (1) and (2) that (a  b)  c  a  (b  c) hence the
operation  is not associative.
Example 3.12
Solution
(a) (u  r)  (t  s) = p  t  s = p  s = p.
Hence p = s.
(b) We substitute q = r, s, t, u in the equation (q  r)  (t  u) = s to find which of them
satisfies it. Only ‘s’ satisfies the equation and thus forms the root. That is:
(s  r)  (t  u) = u  u = s.
Hence q = s.
Example 3.13
Table 3.4
8
A binary operation  is defined on the set
T = {1, 2, 3, 4} by
a  b = a + b – ab, where a, b  T.
(a) (i) Copy and complete Table 3.4.
(ii) Is T closed with respect to ?
(b) Evaluate (2  3)  4. June 1994.
Table 3.3

s
s
Table 3.3 defines the operation  on the set
Y = {r, s, t, u}
Find p and q if;
(a) (u  r )  (t  s) = p,
(b) (q  r)  (t  u) = s.