What does idempotent mean?

Definitions for idempotent
ˈaɪ dəmˈpoʊt nt, ˈɪd əm-idem·po·tent

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word idempotent.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. idempotentadjective

    unchanged in value following multiplication by itself

    "this matrix is idempotent"

Wiktionary

  1. idempotentnoun

    An idempotent ring or other structure

  2. idempotentadjective

    Describing an action which, when performed multiple times, has no further effect on its subject after the first time it is performed.

  3. idempotentadjective

    Said of an element of an algebraic structure (such as a group or semigroup) with a binary operation: that when the element operates on itself, the result is equal to itself.

    Every group has a unique idempotent element: namely, its identity element.

  4. idempotentadjective

    Said of a binary operation: that all of the distinct elements it can operate on are idempotent (in the sense given just above).

    Since the AND logical operator is commutative, associative, and idempotent, then it distributes with respect to itself. (This is useful for understanding one of the conjunction rules of simplification to Prenex Normal Form, if the universal quantifier is thought of as a "big AND".)

  5. Etymology: roots, – literally, “having the same power”.

Wikipedia

  1. idempotent

    Idempotence (UK: , US: ) is the property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science whereby they can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application. The concept of idempotence arises in a number of places in abstract algebra (in particular, in the theory of projectors and closure operators) and functional programming (in which it is connected to the property of referential transparency). The term was introduced by American mathematician Benjamin Peirce in 1870 in the context of elements of algebras that remain invariant when raised to a positive integer power, and literally means "(the quality of having) the same power", from idem + potence (same + power).

ChatGPT

  1. idempotent

    In mathematics and computer science, an operation or element is considered idempotent if repeating it multiple times does not change the outcome beyond the initial application. In other words, after the first time an operation is performed, subsequent performances have no further effect. For example, multiplying a number by one or taking the absolute value of a positive number are idempotent operations.

The New Hacker's Dictionary

  1. idempotent

    [from mathematical techspeak] Acting as if used only once, even if used multiple times. This term is often used with respect to C header files, which contain common definitions and declarations to be included by several source files. If a header file is ever included twice during the same compilation (perhaps due to nested #include files), compilation errors can result unless the header file has protected itself against multiple inclusion; a header file so protected is said to be idempotent. The term can also be used to describe an initialization subroutine that is arranged to perform some critical action exactly once, even if the routine is called several times.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of idempotent in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of idempotent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

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"idempotent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/idempotent>.

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