idempotence

English

Etymology

Latin roots, idem (“same”) +‎ potence (“the quality of having power”) – literally, “the quality of having the same power”.

Coined by 19th century American mathematician Benjamin Peirce in context of algebra.

Noun

idempotence (uncountable)

1. (mathematics, computing) A quality of an action such that repetitions of the action have no further effect on outcome – being idempotent.

Related terms

• idempotent
• impotence
• nilpotence
• nilpotent
• nullipotence
• nullipotent
• omnipotence
• potence
• potency
• potential
• unipotence
• unipotent

Translations

quality of an action such that repetitions of the action have no further effect on outcome – being idempotent

• Finnish: idempotenssi (fi)
• French: idempotence (fr) f
• Greek: ταυτοδυναµία f (taftodynaµía)
• Hungarian: idempotencia (hu)
• Macedonian: идемпотенција f (idempotencija)
• Russian: идемпоте́нтность (ru) f (idempoténtnostʹ)
• Spanish: idempotencia f

See also

• fixed point