For all real numbers, the order of an equality does not matter. Let a and b be real numbers.
If a=b, then b=a.
This property can be used together with other Properties of Equality to solve equations or to isolate a variable and express it in terms of another variable. In the example below, the Symmetric Property of Equality is used to express x in terms of y.
This property is an axiom, so it does not need a proof to be accepted as true. The Symmetric Property of Equality also holds true if a and b are complex numbers.