There is actually a really good explanation for us math-curious non-mathematicians here:
https://blog.plover.com/math/PM.html
+
is a map from N×N
to N
where a + 0 = a
and a + S(b) = S(a + b)
(S
is the successor function that gives the next number).
Then 1 + 1 = 1 + S(0) = S(1 + 0) = S(1) = 2
.
No, it’s correct. You define the operation by it’s properties. It’s not saying that “a plus 0 = a” but “the result of applying the binary operation ‘+’ to any number with 0 should give the original number.”
- is just a symbol. You could instead write it as +(a,0)=a and +(a,S(b))=S(+(a,b)).
You have to have previously defined 1=S(0), 2=S(1), 3=S(2), and so on.