Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The magic of multiplication

Of the mathematical operations, multiplication is the most magical.  It is an act of creation.  It brings into the world entities that had not heretofore existed, and it creates them out of nothing.  It is true that each multiple must exist for the product to be created, but the product comes into existence as a result of the multiplier (who could be me or you) performing the operation.  By an act of magic, the multiplier brings new units into existence.  Addition, subtraction and division do not involve this act of creation.  Addition presupposes the existence of of two or more units, and through the "and" combines them into one.  Subtraction likewise presupposes the existence of all the elements involved in this operation, and through the action of the "or", separates them.  Similarly, division presupposes the existence of a set of units, and once again through the action of the "or", separates them into separate sets.  Addition, subtraction and division involve acts of brute force.  Multiplication involves the act of creation. Multiplication is special.


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