noun
function
A relation assigning exactly one output to each input.
This function assigns the square of each number as its output.
Etymology
The Latin ancestor concerns performance or operation. Mathematics uses function for a definite operation or correspondence that determines an output for each allowed input.
More examples
- The function f(x) = x + 3 sends 2 to 5.
- Two different inputs can produce the same output in a function.
- We compare the graphs of these two functions.
Forms
function · functions
Similar words
- mapping
- Often emphasizes the assignment of elements between two sets.
- transformation
- Usually describes a function that changes mathematical objects or coordinates.