combine abstract method

T combine(
  1. T a,
  2. T b
)

Combines two values of type T into a single value.

This binary operation must satisfy:

  • Closure: The result is always of type T
  • Associativity: combine(combine(a, b), c) == combine(a, combine(b, c))

The operation is typically commutative in practice (though mathematically a monoid doesn't require commutativity), and should be deterministic.

Parameters:

  • a: The first value to combine
  • b: The second value to combine

Returns: A new value representing the combination of a and b.

Implementation

T combine(T a, T b);