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polygon

(Encyclopedia)polygon, closed plane figure bounded by straight line segments as sides. A polygon is convex if any two points inside the polygon can be connected by a line segment that does not intersect any side. I...

arithmetic

(Encyclopedia)arithmetic, branch of mathematics commonly considered a separate branch but in actuality a part of algebra. Conventionally the term has been most widely applied to simple teaching of the skills of dea...

wages

(Encyclopedia)wages, payment received by an employee in exchange for labor. It may be in goods or services but is customarily in money. The term in a broad sense refers to what is received in any way for labor, but...

statistical mechanics

(Encyclopedia)statistical mechanics, quantitative study of systems consisting of a large number of interacting elements, such as the atoms or molecules of a solid, liquid, or gas, or the individual quanta of light ...

Moore, Barrington

(Encyclopedia)Moore, Barrington, 1913–2005, American sociologist and political scientist. Moore wrote a number of books on historical sociology that focus on Soviet society. Based at the Russian Research Center a...

complex variable analysis

(Encyclopedia)complex variable analysis, branch of mathematics that deals with the calculus of functions of a complex variable, i.e., a variable of the form z=x+iy, where x and y are real and i=−1 (see number). A...

probability

(Encyclopedia)probability, in mathematics, assignment of a number as a measure of the “chance” that a given event will occur. There are certain important restrictions on such a probability measure. In any exper...

topology

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Möbius strip: On the ordinary flat loop (A), an ant walking along the middle of the strip will pass only around the outside of the strip. If the strip is cut along the dotted line, twisted onc...

Dedekind, Julius Wilhelm Richard

(Encyclopedia)Dedekind, Julius Wilhelm Richard yo͞olˈyo͝os vĭlˈhĕlm rĭkhˈärt dāˈdəkĭnt [key], 1831–1916, German mathematician. Dedekind studied at Göttingen under the German mathematician Carl Gauss...

Esaki, Leo

(Encyclopedia)Esaki, Leo, 1925–, Japanese physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Tokyo, 1959. Esaki was a researcher with IBM from 1960 until his retirement in 1992. He then served (1992–98) as president of the Univ. of Tsu...