Multiplication is the mathematical operation of scaling one number by another. It is one of the four basic operations in elementary arithmetic (the others being addition, subtraction and division).
Multiplication is defined for whole numbers in terms of repeated addition; for example, 3 multiplied by 4 (often said as "3 times 4") can be calculated by adding 3 copies of 4 together:
Multiplication of rational numbers (fractions) and real numbers is defined by systematic generalization of this basic idea.
Multiplication can also be visualized as counting objects arranged in a rectangle (for whole numbers) or as finding the area of a rectangle whose sides have given lengths (for numbers generally). The inverse of multiplication is division: as 3 times 4 is equal to 12, so 12 divided by 3 is equal to 4.
Multiplication is generalized further to other types of numbers (such as complex numbers) and to more abstract constructs such as matrices.
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... who returned to Texas last fall a few weeks after the start of school and missed learning multiplication , which fazed her for the rest of the year. ...
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