universal algebra
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field of mathematics concerning the theory of algebraic structures
~17 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Universal algebra (sometimes called general algebra) is the field of mathematics that studies algebraic structures in general, not specific types of algebraic structures. For instance, rather than considering groups or rings as the object of study—this is the subject of group theory and ring theory— in universal algebra, the object of study is the possible types of algebraic structures and their relationships.
Basic idea
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “universal algebra” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.