Term (mathematics)

The word term is from the Latin "terminus" "boundary line, limit", from the Indo-European root "ter-" "peg, post, boundary".

In elementary mathematics, a "term" is either a single number or variable, or the product of several numbers and/or variables separated from another term by a + or - sign in an overall expression. For example, in

:3 + 4"x" + 5"yzw"

3, 4"x", and 5"yzw" are all terms.

In the context of polynomials, sometimes "term" is used of a monomial with a coefficient: to 'collect like terms' in a polynomial is the basic operation of making it a linear combination of distinct monomials.

A series is often represented as the sum of a sequence of terms.

Terms in first order logic are more general.

imilar phrases

Where the word term is used for summation, other mathematical constructs have similar terminology.

; multiplication: Factor. In a multiplication of two factors, the first is called the multiplicand and the second is called the multiplier.; divisions and fractions: The top of a division is called the numerator (or dividend), and the bottom is called the denominator (or divisor).

References

*cite book | first=Steven | last=Schwartzman | title=The words of mathematics: An etymological dictionary of mathematical terms used in English | pages=219 | publisher=The Mathematical Association of America | year=1994 | id=ISBN 0-88385-511-9

ee also

* Divisor
* Meaning
* Expression
* Like and unlike terms