In Java, what can you use to find the product of two numbers without the multiplication operator?

Using a for loop that adds repeatedly is a valid approach to finding the product of two numbers without directly using the multiplication operator. The essence of this method lies in the fact that multiplication is fundamentally repetitive addition. By initializing a sum to zero and iterating a loop for the number of times specified by one of the factors, you can repeatedly add the other factor to this sum.

For example, to multiply 3 by 4, you would add 3 a total of 4 times (3 + 3 + 3 + 3), which would ultimately result in 12. This method clearly demonstrates how multiplication can be visualized as a series of additions, effectively achieving the desired result without using the asterisk symbol for multiplication.

Other methods, such as a while loop or a recursive method, could also work but they may not be the most straightforward or efficient compared to a for loop designed specifically for this repetitive addition. A built-in mathematical function would defeat the purpose of the question since the task is to avoid direct multiplication. Thus, utilizing a for loop for repeated addition stands out as a clear and effective solution.