Mathematical function in the context of "Formal semantics (natural language)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Mathematical function

In mathematics, a function from a set X to a set Y assigns to each element of X exactly one element of Y. The set X is called the domain of the function and the set Y is called the codomain of the function.

Functions were originally the idealization of how a varying quantity depends on another quantity. For example, the position of a planet is a function of time. Historically, the concept was elaborated with the infinitesimal calculus at the end of the 17th century, and, until the 19th century, the functions that were considered were differentiable (that is, they had a high degree of regularity). The concept of a function was formalized at the end of the 19th century in terms of set theory, and this greatly increased the possible applications of the concept.

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👉 Mathematical function in the context of Formal semantics (natural language)

Formal semantics is the scientific study of linguistic meaning through formal tools from logic and mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary field, sometimes regarded as a subfield of both linguistics and philosophy of language. Formal semanticists rely on diverse methods to analyze natural language. Many examine the meaning of a sentence by studying the circumstances in which it would be true. They describe these circumstances using abstract mathematical models to represent entities and their features. The principle of compositionality helps them link the meaning of expressions to abstract objects in these models. This principle asserts that the meaning of a compound expression is determined by the meanings of its parts.

Propositional and predicate logic are formal systems used to analyze the semantic structure of sentences. They introduce concepts like singular terms, predicates, quantifiers, and logical connectives to represent the logical form of natural language expressions. Type theory is another approach utilized to describe sentences as nested functions with precisely defined input and output types. Various theoretical frameworks build on these systems. Possible world semantics and situation semantics evaluate truth across different hypothetical scenarios. Dynamic semantics analyzes the meaning of a sentence as the information contribution it makes.

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Mathematical function in the context of Choice function

Let X be a set of sets none of which are empty. Then a choice function (selector, selection) on X is a mathematical function f that is defined on X such that f is a mapping that assigns each element of X to one of its elements.

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Mathematical function in the context of Euler

Leonhard Euler (/ˈɔɪlər/ OY-lər; 15 April 1707 – 18 September 1783) was a Swiss polymath who was active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician, geographer, and engineer. He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made influential discoveries in many other branches of mathematics, such as analytic number theory, complex analysis, and infinitesimal calculus. He also introduced much of modern mathematical terminology and notation, including the notion of a mathematical function. He is known for his work in mechanics, fluid dynamics, optics, astronomy, and music theory. Euler has been called a "universal genius" who "was fully equipped with almost unlimited powers of imagination, intellectual gifts and extraordinary memory". He spent most of his adult life in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and in Berlin, then the capital of Prussia.

Euler is credited for popularizing the Greek letter (lowercase pi) to denote the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, as well as first using the notation for the value of a function, the letter to express the imaginary unit , the Greek letter (capital sigma) to express summations, the Greek letter (capital delta) for finite differences, and lowercase letters to represent the sides of a triangle while representing the angles as capital letters. He gave the current definition of the constant , the base of the natural logarithm, now known as Euler's number. Euler made contributions to applied mathematics and engineering, such as his study of ships, which helped navigation; his three volumes on optics, which contributed to the design of microscopes and telescopes; and his studies of beam bending and column critical loads.

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Mathematical function in the context of Zero crossing

A zero-crossing is a point where the sign of a mathematical function changes (e.g. from positive to negative), represented by an intercept of the axis (zero value) in the graph of the function. It is a commonly used term in electronics, mathematics, acoustics, and image processing.

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Mathematical function in the context of Independent variable

A variable is considered dependent if it depends on (or is hypothesized to depend on) an independent variable. Dependent variables are the outcome of the test they depend, by some law or rule (e.g., by a mathematical function), on the values of other variables. Independent variables, on the other hand, are not seen as depending on any other variable in the scope of the experiment in question. Rather, they are controlled by the experimenter.

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Mathematical function in the context of Sigmoid function

A sigmoid function is any mathematical function whose graph has a characteristic S-shaped or sigmoid curve.

A common example of a sigmoid function is the logistic function, which is defined by the formula

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