Parentheses
Parentheses are paired curved punctuation marks that group parts of a mathematical expression, affecting how operations are interpreted and evaluated.
Order of operations: Conventions that determine the sequence in which operations in an expression are evaluated. Parentheses specify which grouped operations take priority over the usual sequence.
Mathematical expression: A combination of numbers, variables, and operations that represents a mathematical quantity or relationship. Parentheses mark subexpressions within this broader kind of mathematical object.
Algebraic expression: An expression formed from variables, constants, and operations such as addition and multiplication. Parentheses group terms before expansion, substitution, or simplification.
Square brackets: Paired angular punctuation marks used in mathematics for grouping, intervals, matrices, and other notation. Square brackets can mark an outer grouping level when parentheses are nested.
Operator precedence: Rules that rank operators to determine how an expression is grouped when parentheses are absent. Precedence governs the unparenthesized parts surrounding each group.
Arithmetic operation: A basic calculation such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Parentheses organize the operations whose relationships determine an expression’s value.
Polynomial multiplication: The multiplication of polynomials by distributing each term of one polynomial across the other. Parentheses identify the polynomial factors that must be multiplied and distributed.
Braces (mathematics): Curly delimiters used in mathematics to group expressions or denote sets. Braces provide another visual delimiter when an expression already contains parentheses.
Associativity: A property describing how repeated operations are grouped when their order is unchanged. Parentheses can make grouping explicit when an operation’s associativity matters.
Unary minus: The operation that changes a number’s sign without subtracting it from another quantity. Parentheses can distinguish a negative value from the scope of an exponent or other operation.