orthogonal

English

WOTD - 25 April 2006    

Wikipedia

Etymology

Mediaeval Latin orthogonalis, from Latin orthogonius "right-angled".

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɔːˈθɒɡənəl/

• Audio (US)

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Adjective

orthogonal (non-comparable)

1. (geometry) pertaining to right angles; perpendicular (to)

   A chord and the radius that bisects it are orthogonal.

2. (mathematics)
   1. Of two functions, linearly independent; having a zero inner product.

      The normal vector and tangent vector at a given point are orthogonal.

   2. Of a square matrix that is the inverse of its transpose
   3. Of a linear transformation that preserves angles
3. (statistics) statistically independent, with reference to variates
4. (software engineering) Able to be treated separately.

   The content of the message should be orthogonal to the means of its delivery.

Derived terms

• orthogonality

Related terms

• orthogonalization
• orthogonal base
• orthogonal matrix
• orthogonal transform
• orthonormal

Translations

of right angles

Danish: ortogonal (da), vinkelret (da) Dutch: orthogonaal, loodrecht Finnish: ortogonaalinen (fi), suorakulmainen (fi) French: orthogonal (fr) German: rechtwinklig (de)

Greek: ορθογώνιος (el) Hungarian: ortogonális Portuguese: ortogonal (pt), perpendicular (pt) Swedish: ortogonal, vinkelrät, rätvinklig

mathematical term

Dutch: orthogonaal French: orthogonal (fr) German: orthogonal (de)

Hungarian: ortogonális Swedish: ortogonal

statistically independent

French: orthogonal (fr)

Swedish: ortogonal

able to be treated separately

French: indépendant (fr)

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French

Etymology

Mediaeval Latin orthogonalis, from late Latin orthogonius "right-angled".

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɔʀtɔɡɔnal/

Adjective

orthogonal m. (f. orthogonale, m. plural orthogonaux, f. plural orthogonales)

1. orthogonal