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Definition

Multiplicative Identity

The multiplicative identity is the number 11. Multiplying any number by 11 leaves its value unchanged: for any number aa, a1=aa \cdot 1 = a and 1a=a1 \cdot a = a. The word "identity" conveys the idea that 11 preserves a number's identity under multiplication, just as 00 preserves a number's identity under addition. No other number has this property — 11 is uniquely the multiplicative identity.

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Updated 2026-05-02

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