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Glite Dictionary
linear operator

linear operator

7.7
A rule that changes functions and keeps addition and multiplication by numbers
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪniər ˈɒpəreɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : operador lineal
  • These are called the matrix elements of the linear operator M.

Examples

  • D by DX is a linear operator acting on the space of function PSI of X.

  • In quantum mechanics, a linear operator can represent observable quantities, ensuring consistent results in calculations.

  • So this this linear operator is exactly for the chain.

  • The mathematician described the linear operator as a function that transforms vectors while preserving their structure.

  • When studying differential equations, students must understand how a linear operator can simplify complex equations.

How Linear

linear operator
  • Specialized
7.7
nonlinear
  • Specialized
6 6.8

Surface Forms

linear operator singular
linear operators plural

Morphology

linear + operator

The phrase is compositionally built: it denotes an operator that is "linear," so a learner who knows 'linear' and 'operator' can infer it is an operator with linear properties. However, the technical content (that it preserves addition and scalar multiplication) is specialized mathematical knowledge not deducible from everyday meanings of the words alone, so the relation is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Linear operator comes from the words linear, from 'line', and operator, something that acts on things. Imagine a machine that changes a shape but always keeps lines straight and the parts in the same proportion, and that image shows why a linear operator 'preserves addition and scalar multiplication'.