suffix notation
- noun
- /ˈsʌfɪks noʊˈteɪʃən/
- Specialized
- In suffix notation, the expression '3 4 +' means 3 plus 4.
Examples
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Some calculators use suffix notation instead of the more common infix notation.
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In suffix notation, the expression '3 4 +' represents the operation of adding 3 and 4.
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Learning suffix notation can make it easier to design efficient parsers for calculators.
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The expression is written in suffix notation.
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Can you explain suffix notation to me?
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Some programming languages prefer suffix notation for its simplicity and efficiency.
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When using suffix notation, the computation proceeds from left to right, applying operators after their operands.
Synonyms
1
8.3
A way of writing math expressions without parentheses where each sign comes after the numbers
1
8.5
A way of writing math where operators come after numbers
A way to write math with numbers before the sign so no parentheses
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'suffix' (something appended at the end) and 'notation' (a system of symbols) combine to give a plausible compositional sense: a way of writing where elements are placed after others. However, the precise mathematical interpretation (operators following operands and the parenthesis-eliminating consequence) is specialist knowledge and not fully predictable for an average B1 learner, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Suffix notation is a way of writing math where the math sign comes after the numbers; the word suffix means 'after' and notation means 'a way of writing'. So '3 4 +' puts the plus sign after 3 and 4, and that clear order means you do not need parentheses.