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subtraction

(Encyclopedia)subtraction, fundamental operation of arithmetic; the inverse of addition. If a and b are real numbers (see number), then the number a−b is that number (called the difference) which when added to b ...

sudoku

(Encyclopedia)sudoku or su doku so͞odōˈko͞o [key] [Jap.,=single number], a number puzzle consisting, in its classic form, of a square divided into nine squares, with each smaller square divided into nine boxes,...

binary system

(Encyclopedia)binary system, numeration system based on powers of 2, in contrast to the familiar decimal system, which is based on powers of 10. In the binary system, only the digits 0 and 1 are used. Thus, the fir...

scalar

(Encyclopedia)scalar, quantity or number possessing only sign and magnitude, e.g., the real numbers (see number), in contrast to vectors and tensors; scalars obey the rules of elementary algebra. Many physical quan...

e, in mathematics

(Encyclopedia)e, in mathematics, irrational number occurring widely in mathematics and science, approximately equal to the value 2.71828; it is the base of natural, or Naperian, logarithms. The number e is defined ...

meiosis

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Formation of sperm cells through meiosis meiosis mīŏˈsĭs [key], process of nuclear division in a living cell by which the number of chromosomes is reduced to half the original number. Meio...

colligative properties

(Encyclopedia)colligative properties, properties of a solution that depend on the number of solute particles present but not on the chemical properties of the solute. Colligative properties of a solution include fr...

oxidation and reduction

(Encyclopedia)oxidation and reduction, complementary chemical reactions characterized by the loss or gain, respectively, of one or more electrons by an atom or molecule. Originally the term oxidation was used to re...

dominoes

(Encyclopedia)dominoes, game played with a set of rectangular pieces (usually 28 in number) called dominoes. Each piece (made of wood, bone, ivory, plastic, or other material) has one blank face and one face marked...

quaternion

(Encyclopedia)quaternion kwətûrˈnēən [key], in mathematics, a type of higher complex number first suggested by Sir William R. Hamilton in 1843. A complex number is a number of the form a+bi when a and b are re...