x*y*z, x×y×z, or x y z
represents a product of terms.
Times
x*y*z, x×y×z, or x y z
represents a product of terms.
Details
- The character × is entered as * or \[Times] . It is not the same as \[Cross] .
- Times has attributes Flat , Orderless , and OneIdentity .
- The default value for arguments of Times , as used in x_. patterns, is 1.
- Times [] is taken to be 1.
- Times [x] is x.
- 0x evaluates to 0, and 0.0x evaluates to 0.0.
- Unlike other functions, Times applies built‐in rules before user‐defined ones. As a result, it is not possible to make definitions such as 2*2=5.
- Times can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Background & Context
- Times is a function that does multiplication (takes the product) of expressions. The expression Times [a,b,c,…] is commonly represented using the shorthand syntax a*b*c*…, a×b×c×…, or simply a b c …. Special cases include Times [], which is taken to be 1, and Times [x], which is taken to be x.
- Times sorts its arguments and collapses any terms of the same type. Times also threads element-wise over lists. Expand can be used to expand out products of expressions not automatically multiplied out by Times .
- TimesBy can be used to multiply the value of a given variable. Divide gives the division of two expressions.
- Multiplication of a function over a range or list of arguments is done using the function Product . Other types of multiplication include Dot (for matrix or vector multiplication) and NonCommutativeMultiply (for non-commuting products).
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (3)
Scope (3)
Times threads element-wise:
Pattern matching works with Times :
Times can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
Properties & Relations (4)
Use Expand to expand out products:
Use Dot for matrix or vector multiplication:
Use Product for products of indexed elements:
As well as for closed forms of products:
Use NonCommutativeMultiply for non commuting products:
Tech Notes
-
▪
- Arithmetic ▪
- Operators
History
Introduced in 1988 (1.0) | Updated in 1996 (3.0) ▪ 2021 (13.0)
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), Times, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Times.html (updated 2021).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Times." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Times.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Times. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Times.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_times, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Times}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Times.html}", note=[Accessed: 04-January-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_times, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Times}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Times.html}, note=[Accessed: 04-January-2026]}