ergodic

[ ur-god-ik ]

adjective

, Mathematics, Statistics.

1. of or relating to the condition that, in an interval of sufficient duration, a system will return to states that are closely similar to previous ones: the assumption of such a condition underlies statistical methods used in modern dynamics and atomic theory.

Other Words From

• er·go·dic·i·ty [ur-g, uh, -, dis, -i-tee], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ergodic¹

1925–30; erg(o)- ¹ + Greek ( h ) od ( ós ) way, road + -ic

Example Sentences

He introduced new ideas, like the entropy rate of a probabilistic model, which have been applied in far-ranging branches of mathematics such as ergodic theory, the study of long-term behavior of dynamical systems.

From Quanta Magazine