Show that addition and multiplication are associative binary operations on $R$. However,subtraction is not associative on $R$,and division is not associative on $R_*$.

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For any $a, b, c \in R$,addition is associative because $(a + b) + c = a + (b + c)$.
Multiplication is associative because $(a \times b) \times c = a \times (b \times c)$.
Subtraction is not associative because $(8 - 5) - 3 = 3 - 3 = 0$,while $8 - (5 - 3) = 8 - 2 = 6$. Since $0 \neq 6$,subtraction is not associative.
Division is not associative on $R_*$ (where $R_* = R \setminus \{0\}$) because $(8 \div 5) \div 3 = \frac{8}{5} \div 3 = \frac{8}{15}$,while $8 \div (5 \div 3) = 8 \div \frac{5}{3} = \frac{24}{5}$. Since $\frac{8}{15} \neq \frac{24}{5}$,division is not associative.

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