A commutative ring is a mathematical structure consisting of a set equipped with two operations, addition and multiplication, that satisfy certain properties. In this context, both operations must be commutative, meaning the order in which you combine elements does not affect the result, and there must be an identity element for addition and a distributive property linking the two operations. Understanding commutative rings is fundamental because they form the basis for further studies in algebraic structures, including ideals and modules.
congrats on reading the definition of commutative ring. now let's actually learn it.