Why not? Because every math system you've ever worked with has obeyed these properties! You have never dealt with a system where a×b did not in fact equal b×a, for instance, or where (a×b)×c did not equal a×(b×c). Which is why the properties probably seem somewhat pointless to you. Don't worry about their "relevance" for now; just make sure you can keep the properties straight so you can pass the next test. The lesson below explains how I kept track of the properties.