What do these two symbols mean?

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The symbols in question, an "X" inscribed in a circle and an addition sign in a circle, represent the tensor product and the direct sum of modules, respectively. The tensor product is commonly used in the context of matrices and tensors, while the direct sum pertains to vector spaces and modules in linear algebra. Although these symbols have universal meanings, their interpretation can vary based on the mathematical context. Understanding these operations is essential for working with advanced mathematical concepts. Clarifying their meanings can enhance comprehension of related equations and structures.
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I was looking into a set of equations, and came across two different symbols that I'm not familiar with what do they mean? One looks like an "X" inscribed in a circle and the other was an addition sign in scribed in a circle. Again, what do they mean?
 
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Where did you come across these symbols? Although the meaning of many symbols are universal, some may depend on the context.

What you're referring to seems like the operations of a field, for example - http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Field.html. If it is so, the 'x in a circle' is called multiplication and the + is known as addition, although these need not always represent the multiplication and addition that we use in our daily lives.
 
I don't remmber the exact site, but it seems like it was talking about tensors.
 
It could be tensor products. But I'm not well-versed in tensors, so I'll leave this up to someone who know tensors well.
 
isefGUY said:
I was looking into a set of equations, and came across two different symbols that I'm not familiar with what do they mean? One looks like an "X" inscribed in a circle

As neutrino has suggested, this is indeed the tensor product. It's fairly simple to write down for matrices, and they do so here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_product

and the other was an addition sign in scribed in a circle. Again, what do they mean?

This is the direct sum of two modules. This may be in your linear algebra book, but it would be known as the direct sum of two vector spaces. This is just a special case of the direct sum of modules, as a vector space over a field F is just an F-module.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_sum
 
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