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characteristic function

noun Mathematics.

a function defined on a given set, having value 1 for every element of the set and value 0 for every element not contained in the set.
characteristic polynomial.

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Origin of characteristic function

First recorded in1875–80

Words nearby characteristic function

characterful, character generator, characteristic, characteristic curve, characteristic equation, characteristic function, characteristic polynomial, characteristic root, characteristics, characteristic vector, characteristic velocity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for characteristic function

characteristic function

noun

maths a function that assigns the value 1 to the members of a given set and the value 0 to its nonmembers
statistics a function derived from the probability distribution function that enables the distribution of the sum of given random variables to be analysed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012