infix notation
- noun
- /ˈɪnˌfɪks noʊˈteɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
notación infija
- In infix notation, multiplication is written as 3 × 4 rather than placing the operator at the end or beginning.
Examples
-
Most calculators use infix notation for performing arithmetic operations.
-
The equation in infix notation can be converted to postfix notation by following certain rules.
-
The equation was written in infix notation.
-
Can you explain infix notation to me?
-
In infix notation, the correct order of operations is often clarified using parentheses.
-
Most programming languages utilize infix notation for writing expressions clearly.
-
To evaluate the expression in infix notation, you need to understand how operators interact with operands.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is partly compositional: 'infix' denotes insertion within/between elements and 'notation' is a way of writing, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a form of writing that places items between others (i.e. operators between operands). However, the term is technical and the mapping from the linguistic sense of 'infix' to the specific mathematical convention (operators between operands with parentheses for order) is domain-specific and not fully predictable for an average B1 learner, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Infix notation simply names the 'in-the-middle' way of writing math: the operator, for example the word 'plus' or 'times', sits between its two operands, the numbers it combines. So when we write 3 plus 4 and use parentheses to show 'which to do first', we are using Infix notation.
