Talk:invariable

Is constant synonym of invariable?

I intend to remove constant as synonym of invariable since it is in my opinion a confusion. For instance, rose colors show variability, right? If roses were all red, then the color of roses would be invariable. This is a question of whether something (some data) is the same in different instances, occurrences, or applications (for math formulas & functions, for programming functions and whole programs).

On the other hand, constant is rather used to mean that something does not change in time. As in constant mood, constant weather, constant indicators (eg of economical stats). However, it is also used to mean invariable in some cases. Particularly since in math there is no time (every math object is static) constant is used there, in math, as an opposite of variable. This sense transferred to programming, introducing tons of misunderstanding & confusion, as in programming there is time (an app models a dynamic system which state changes over time).

Maybe the best would be to add a second entry for the sense in math (which I'll do); but there should be a usage note about this sense and the one in programming (which I'll not do because I don't know how).

Denispir (talk) 12:05, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

RFV discussion: December 2014–February 2015

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invariable

Rfv-sense: That cannot undergo inflection, conjugation or declension.

Added in diff.

One quotation is in Citations:invariable; not sure how good it is. --Dan Polansky (talk) 14:37, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

Seems to be plenty here: [1]. Equinox ◑ 15:42, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

I've added three more quotations to the citations page, for a total of four. —Mr. Granger (talk • contribs) 16:22, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

Well, we use it to mean this. Are we really the only ones to do so? I doubt it. Renard Migrant (talk) 21:46, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

It is amusing to note that the sole citation discussing the phenomenon in English is "Singular invariable nouns include mud and impatience, and plural invariable nouns include scissors and trousers. You cannot have *muds, *impatiences, *a scissor, or *a trouser." We have all of them and not by mistake. DCDuring TALK 23:39, 31 December 2014 (UTC)

You can have a trouser leg or trouser pocket, so trousers is variable when used as an attributive. I tend to use indeclinable for some Norwegian adjectives (and nouns), but I guess invariable could be used instead. Donnanz (talk) 10:47, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

RFV passed. Equinox ◑ 23:55, 8 February 2015 (UTC)