Two expressions placed next to each other and separated by parenthesis represent the multiplication operation. For example, the expression is interpreted as multiplied by .
Since multiplication is a very common operation in mathematics, there are alternative, shorthand ways of expressing the operation. In elementary mathematics, the times symbol (×) is often used, but then later dropped in favor of the center dot, parentheses, or implicitly represented by two variables next to each other.
A dot between two numbers denotes multiplication in mathematics. The formal name for the dot symbol is an interpunct.
In mathematics when two variables are next to each other the implied operation is multiplication. This makes many equations and formulas more simple.