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Multiplication is a fundamental mathematical operation. It is essentially a shortcut for repeated addition. For example, 3 multiplied by 4 (written as 3 × 4) means adding 3 together 4 times (3 + 3 + 3 + 3), which equals 12. The numbers being multiplied are called factors, and the result is the product.

A key property of multiplication is the commutative law, which states that the order of the factors does not change the product (ab = ba). This is illustrated in a multiplication table, which shows the results of multiplying numbers. Factoring is the reverse process, breaking a number down into its factors.123

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