fixed indentation and uml image paths authored by Alexander Krause's avatar Alexander Krause
**Sources:** http://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.5 (Starting at PDF page 239)
# Associations
An Association classifies a set of tuples representing links between typed instances, e.g., two instances of classes at runtime.
### Example
![Association Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/wikis/uml-sources/img/association.png)
![Association Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/-/wikis/uml-sources/img/association.png)
# Aggregation and Composition
Aggregation and Composition are subsets of associations, i.e., they are specific cases of association.
In both aggregation and composition object of one class "owns" object of another class. But there is a small difference.
## Aggregation
Aggregation implies a relationship where the child can exist independently of the parent.
### Example
![Aggregation Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/wikis/uml-sources/img/aggregation.png)
![Aggregation Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/-/wikis/uml-sources/img/aggregation.png)
Lecture (parent) and Student (child). Delete the Lecture and the Students still exist.
## Composition
Composition implies a relationship where the child cannot exist independent of the parent.
### Example
![Composition Association Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/wikis/uml-sources/img/composition.png)
![Composition Association Class Diagram](https://git.informatik.uni-kiel.de/ag-se/teaching-public/-/wikis/uml-sources/img/composition.png)
Person (parent) and Head, Leg, and Heart (children). The children don't exist separate to a Person.