equivalence relation

noun

, Mathematics.

1. a relation that is reflexive, symmetrical, and transitive, as equality.

equivalence relation

noun

1. logic maths a relation that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive: it imposes a partition on its domain of definition so that two elements belong to the same subset if and only if the relation holds between them

Word History and Origins

Origin of equivalence relation¹

First recorded in 1945–50