Abstract algebra or modern algebra is the study of algebraic structures.

Algebraic structures include groups, rings, fields, modules, vector spaces, lattices, and algebras over a field. The term abstract algebra was coined in the early 20^th century to distinguish it from older parts of algebra, and more specifically from elementary algebra, the use of variables to represent numbers in computation and reasoning.

The permutations of the Rubik’s Cube form a group, a fundamental concept within abstract algebra.