In mathematics, a set B of elements of a vector space V is called a basis (pl.: bases) if every element of V can be written in a unique way as a finite linear combination of elements of B. The coefficients of this linear combination are referred to as components or coordinates of the vector with respect to B. The elements of a basis are called basis vectors.
Equivalently, a set B is a basis if its elements are linearly independent and every element of V is a linear combination of elements of B. In other words, a basis is a linearly independent spanning set.