# Operations of Boolean Algebra are Associative

## Theorem

Let $\struct {S, \vee, \wedge, \neg}$ be a Boolean algebra, defined as in Definition 1.

Then:

$\forall a, b, c \in S: \paren {a \wedge b} \wedge c = a \wedge \paren {b \wedge c}$
$\forall a, b, c \in S: \paren {a \vee b} \vee c = a \vee \paren {b \vee c}$

That is, both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ are associative operations.

## Proof

Let $a, b, c \in S$.

Let:

$x = a \wedge \paren {b \wedge c}$
$y = \paren {a \wedge b} \wedge c$

Then:

 $\ds a \vee x$ $=$ $\ds a \vee \paren {a \wedge \paren {b \wedge c} }$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {a \vee a} \wedge \paren {a \vee \paren {b \wedge c} }$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other $\ds$ $=$ $\ds a \wedge \paren {a \vee \paren {b \wedge c} }$ Operations of Boolean Algebra are Idempotent $\ds$ $=$ $\ds a$ Absorption Laws (Boolean Algebras)

Similarly:

 $\ds a \vee y$ $=$ $\ds a \vee \paren {\paren {a \wedge b} \wedge c}$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {a \vee \paren {a \wedge b} } \wedge \paren {a \vee c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other $\ds$ $=$ $\ds a \wedge \paren {a \vee c}$ Absorption Laws (Boolean Algebras) $\ds$ $=$ $\ds a$ Absorption Laws (Boolean Algebras)

Thus we see we have $a \vee x = a \vee y$.

Next:

 $\ds \neg a \vee x$ $=$ $\ds \neg a \vee \paren {a \wedge \paren {b \wedge c} }$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {\neg a \vee a} \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee \paren {b \wedge c} }$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \top \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee \paren {b \wedge c} }$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 4)$: $\neg a \vee a = \top$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \neg a \vee \paren {b \wedge c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 3)$: $\top$ is the identity of $\wedge$

Similarly:

 $\ds \neg a \vee y$ $=$ $\ds \neg a \vee \paren {\paren {a \wedge b} \wedge c}$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {\neg a \vee \paren {a \wedge b} } \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {\paren {\neg a \vee a} \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee b} } \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {\top \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee b} } \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 4)$: $\neg a \vee a = \top$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \paren {\neg a \vee b} \wedge \paren {\neg a \vee c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 3)$: $\top$ is the identity of $\wedge$ $\ds$ $=$ $\ds \neg a \vee \paren {b \wedge c}$ Boolean Algebra: Axiom $(\text {BA}_1 2)$: both $\vee$ and $\wedge$ distribute over the other

Thus we see we have $\neg a \vee x = \neg a \vee y$.

In conclusion, we have:

$a \vee x = a \vee y$
$\neg a \vee x = \neg a \vee y$

Hence $x = y$ by Cancellation of Join in Boolean Algebra, that is:

$\paren {a \wedge b} \wedge c = a \wedge \paren {b \wedge c}$

$\Box$

The result:

$\paren {a \vee b} \vee c = a \vee \paren {b \vee c}$

follows from the Duality Principle.

$\blacksquare$