Click here to purchase the entire book in PDF format. Associative Laws This law says that, when you're adding more than two numbers, it doesn't matter which two you do first. For example (2 + 3) + 5 = 2 + (3 + 5). The same holds true for multiplication. $$((a + jb) + (c + jd)) + (e + jf) = (a + jb) + ((c + jd) + (e + jf))$$ (2.36) and $$((a + jb) * (c + jd)) * (e + jf) = (a + jb) * ((c + jd) * (e + jf))$$ (2.37)