Define the "parallel sum" a∥b=((a*b)/(a+b) A normal sum has the associative property: a+(b+c)=(a+b)+c which justifies dropping the parentheses a+(b+c)=a+b+c

Define the "parallel sum" a∥b=((a*b)/(a+b) A normal sum has the associative property: a+(b+c)=(a+b)+c which justifies dropping the parentheses a+(b+c)=a+b+c=(a+b)+c It is just an exercise for the reader that the parallel sum ∥ operation is associative: a∥(b∥c) = (a∥b)∥c multiplication is typically defined as repeatedly adding: a x b = b+b+...+b+b (a times b) similarily one can define parallel multiplication xx : a xx b = b∥b∥...∥b∥b (a parallel-times b) The reader can verify that 9 parallel-times size 9 xx size = size∥size∥size∥size∥size∥size∥size∥size∥size = size / 9 So I just think the Bonsai designers meant it was 9 parallel-times smaller, which checks out... x∥x=(xx)/(x+x)= x/2 x∥x∥x =(x/2x)/(2/x+x)=(x/2)/(3/2)=x/3 x∥x∥x∥x = x/4