Idempotent
/ˌaɪ.dəmˈpoʊ.tənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An idempotent element.
- 2 An idempotent structure.
Adjective
- 1 (said of a function) Such that, when performed multiple times on the same subject, it has no further effect on its subject after the first time it is performed. not-comparable
"A projection operator is idempotent."
- 2 (said of an element of an algebraic structure with a binary operation, such as a group or semigroup) Such that, when it operates on itself, the result is equal to itself. not-comparable
"Every finite semigroup has an idempotent element."
- 3 (said of a binary operation) Such that all of the distinct elements it can operate on are idempotent (in the sense given just above). not-comparable
"Since the AND logical operator is commutative, associative, and idempotent, it distributes with respect to itself."
- 4 (said of an algebraic structure) Having an idempotent operation (in the sense given above). not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 unchanged in value following multiplication by itself wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"A projection operator is idempotent."
Etymology
From Latin roots idem (“same”) + potent (“having power”), thus “having the same power”. Coined in 1870 by American mathematician Benjamin Peirce in the context of algebra, later generalized to computer science.