What is "binary operation"

n. (context algebra English) An operation taking two operands.

n. an operation that follows the rules of boolean algebra; each operand and the result take one of two values [syn: boolean operation, binary arithmetic operation]

In mathematics, a binary operation on a set is a calculation that combines two elements of the set (called operands) to produce another element of the set (more formally, an operation whose arity is two, and whose two domains and one codomain are (subsets of) the same set). Examples include the familiar elementary arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Other examples are readily found in different areas of mathematics, such as vector addition, matrix multiplication and conjugation in groups.