A **zero-sum-free monoid** is a mathematical structure in the context of algebra, specifically in the study of monoids and additive number theory. To understand what a zero-sum-free monoid is, we need to break down a couple of concepts: 1. **Monoid:** A monoid is a set equipped with an associative binary operation and an identity element. In the context of additive monoids, we often deal with sets of numbers under addition.