asymptote

See also Asymptote

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Apollonius Pergaeus's Greek term ἀσύμπτωτος (asúmptôtos) which means "not falling together," from ἀ "not" + σύν "together" + πτωτός "fallen."

Noun

asymptote (plural asymptotes)

1. (analysis) A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely, as they go to infinity. The limit of the curve, its tangent "at infinity".
2. in figurative uses
   • 1860: Frederic William Farrar, An Essay on the Origin of Language, page 117

     Language, in relation to thought, must ever be regarded as an asymptote.

Derived terms

• asymptotic
• asymptotics
• asymptotical
• asymptotically

Translations

a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely

Czech: asymptota (cs) f. Dutch: asymptoot (nl) m. Finnish: asymptootti (fi) French: asymptote (fr) f. German: Asymptote (de) f. Icelandic: aðfella (is) f., ósnertill (is) m. Ido: asimptoto

Polish: asymptota (pl) f. Portuguese: assíntota Romanian: asimptotă (ro) f. Russian: асимптота (ru) (asimptóta) f. Swedish: asymptot (sv) c. Turkish: asimptot (tr)

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French

Noun

asymptote f. (plural asymptotes)

1. asymptote