This observation is equivalent to the mathematical expression '3 + 2 = 5' (that is, '3 plus 2 is equal to 5').īesides counting items, addition can also be defined and executed without referring to concrete objects, using abstractions called numbers instead, such as integers, real numbers and complex numbers. The example in the adjacent image shows two columns of three apples and two apples each, totaling at five apples. The addition of two whole numbers results in the total amount or sum of those values combined.
For other uses, see ADD (disambiguation).ģ + 2 = 5 with apples, a popular choice in textbooks Īddition (usually signified by the plus symbol +) is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the other three being subtraction, multiplication and division.
