Answer:

3 x 4 is the same as the 4 x 3 and 3 + 4 is the same as 4 + 3. But 3 ÷ 4 is not the same as 4 ÷ 3 and 3 - 4 is not the same as 4 - 3. Multiplication and addition of numbers are said to be commutative. Division and subtraction of numbers are not commutative (non-commutative).

In mathematics, commutativity is the ability to change the order of something without changing the end result. It is a fundamental property in most branches of mathematics and many proofs depend on it. The commutativity of simple operations was for many years implicitly assumed and the property was not given a name or attributed until the 19th century when mathematicians began to formalize the theory of mathematics.

An operation x on a set is commutative when it does not matter which way round two elements in the set are combined, i.e., when a x b = b x a for all elements a and b in the set.