Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [terminology]

Questions on the usage and meaning of words in mathematics, the names for mathematical entities, and other such questions.

Terminology is a discipline that studies, among other things, the development of terms and their interrelationships. This tag is intended to be used for questions on the usage and meaning of words in mathematics, the names for mathematical entities, and other such questions.

8534 questions
8
votes
1 answer

Is "monotonous" ever used as a synonym for "monotonic" in math?

I saw a few questions and answers recently that wrote "monotonous" instead of "monotonic." Then I Googled and see a ton of usages of "monotonous" in M.SE instead of monotonic. It occurred to me this might be a locale issue. Are there any locales…
Thomas Andrews
  • 177,126
8
votes
7 answers

How to say that something rises with the fall of something else

I want to write in a math article that one parameter is going up when other is falling. These parameters are linked. What is a formal way of writing it? "Parameter A is rise with the fall of parameter B"?
Darqer
  • 605
8
votes
3 answers

What is so linear about linear combination?

What is linear about a linear combination of things?. In linear algebra, the "things" we are dealing with are usually vectors and the linear combination gives the span of the vectors. Or it could be a linear combination of variables and functions.…
GRANZER
  • 583
8
votes
7 answers

What is the opposite of a cross term?

When we multiply out $(x + y)(x + y)$, we refer to the two $xy$ terms as "cross terms". Is there a corresponding term for the $x^2$ and $y^2$ terms?
Hammerite
  • 1,003
7
votes
3 answers

Is there a difference between "unity" and 1 in applied mathematics?

Is there a difference between "unity" and 1 in applied mathematics? I know mathematicians have "roots of unity" and "partitions of unity", but at least those have become standardized. In applications, "unity" seems to be used randomly and maybe…
Bob Terrell
  • 3,812
7
votes
1 answer

Arbitrary's Meaning

I am not a native English speaker nor have I studied Physics in English before. I came across this word "Arbitrary" when I read a Mathematics for Physics book. I don't understand what it means. Here is the sentence "where $A$ and $B$ are arbitrary…
TBBT
  • 347
7
votes
5 answers

How can I succinctly but correctly say that a set is finite?

If I want to say that a set $A$ is numerable but infinite, I can do so like this: $$|A| = \aleph_0$$ What should I use instead to say that a set is finite? $|A|\in\mathbb{N}$? $|A|< \infty$? $|A|< \aleph_0$? Something else entirely?
badp
  • 1,256
7
votes
2 answers

Is there a one-word term for "grows by square root"?

We can describe a growth relationship $y = x$ as linear (e.g. "linear growth"). We can describe $y = \log(x)$ as logarithmic (e.g. "logarithmic growth"). We can describe $y = x^2$ as quadratic (e.g. "quadratic growth"). We can describe $y = 2^x$ as…
Kevin
  • 183
7
votes
1 answer

Term for the "nullspace" of a nonlinear system of equations

Just a quick terminology question. The set of solutions to a linear system of equations with nonunique solutions is known as the "nullspace". What is the equivalent terminology (if there is one) for the nonunique solutions to a nonlinear system of…
Gilead
  • 343
7
votes
4 answers

Terminology: arbitrary vs. finite

How is arbitrary different from finite in mathematics? An arbitrary union of subsets and a finite union of subsets look the same to me! Is an infinite union of subsets arbitrary?
mrk
  • 3,075
7
votes
2 answers

Symbol for area

Is there an accepted convention to denote "area" in the following manner: $$ A = \frac{1}{3}(\triangle ABC) $$ which would mean, say, "A equals to one third of the area of the triangle ABC? (Or does the above would mean that?)
blackened
  • 1,115
7
votes
3 answers

Is there a specific terminology in mathematics community for "flow" at math studying?

I have a question about an interesting terminology "flow". Definition. In psychology, flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and…
Amin
  • 2,103
7
votes
4 answers

Is $\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ a fraction or not?

Is $\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ a fraction or not? I just came across a Grade 8 student's class work where the teacher has given the above as an example to differentiate fractions from rational numbers. I think this is wrong fundamentally, as $\sqrt2$ is…
Divesh M
  • 99
7
votes
5 answers

Is a total function also a partial function?

Is there a consensus on whether a total function, i.e., a function defined for each element of the domain, is also a partial function?
davitenio
  • 1,226
7
votes
1 answer

What does "adic" mean?

The word "adic" is often seen in books of algebra and number theory. I don't know what does this word mean, so I look it up in a dictionary, called Oxford Dictionary of English. But it does not appear there. So what does this word mean just as a…
sunkist
  • 1,133
1 2 3
…
49 50