Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
📏 At the limit 🔝 Maximum or minimum
extremal

extremal

9.9
A value that gives the highest or lowest result in a math problem
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈstriməl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : extremal
  • So we'll probably call it the extremal number more frequently.

Examples

  • OK, So what can we say about the extremal numbers of these KSTS?

  • In optimization problems, finding the extremal value is crucial for determining the best solution.

  • The researchers calculated the extremal points of the function to understand its behavior.

  • To solve the equation, we need to identify the extremal conditions that maximize the output.

Synonyms

extreme
vsextremal
125 4.2

The farthest point or highest level of something

denotes objects or functions that reach true maxima or minima in math problems
optimum
vsextremal
31 5.1

Most suitable for a given situation

aims at exact maximum or minimum in a mathematical optimization problem
extremum
vsextremal
  • Specialized
9.9

A point where a function is highest or lowest

refers to things that achieve those values rather than the values themselves

Surface Forms

extremal singular
extremals plural

Morphology

extremal = extreme (semi-transparent) = extreme + al

While 'extreme' is clear, the specific mathematical meaning of 'extremal' is specialized and not directly inferable.

Etymology

Extremal, used as a noun, comes from the Latin extremus, 'outermost' or 'end', the same root as extreme and terminal. So an extremal is a value or object that sits at the 'edge' — the maximum or minimum that solves a problem.