onto
- adjective
- /ˈɒntu/
- Specialized
- In our class, we learned that a function is onto if it maps to every element in the target set.
Examples
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So FA to B is onto or surjective.
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We showed that PSI was onto, so we did that right here.
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5 Aquinas on the onto-logical proof.
Academic text (1995) -
The function was proved to be onto because every output value corresponds to an input value.
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Mathematicians often discuss whether a transformation is onto when analyzing its properties.
Synonyms
A function where every output value comes from at least one input
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Onto in math comes from the idea of putting something on ('on') to ('toward') every result; think of mapping at least one input 'onto' each output. That's why a function is called onto when every possible output comes from some input.