ideal element

British  

noun

1. any element added to a mathematical theory in order to eliminate special cases. The ideal element i = √–1 allows all algebraic equations to be solved and the point at infinity ( ideal point ) ensures that any two lines in projective geometry intersect

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Example Sentences

As the lightest metal on the periodic table, and the one most eager to shed its electrons, lithium is the ideal element to make powerful, portable batteries.

From Nature • Oct. 27, 2015

It is the chief merit of Fracastoro's dialogue, that even while emphasizing this Platonic element, he clearly distinguishes and defines the ideal element in �sthetic imitation.

From A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance With special reference to the influence of Italy in the formation and development of modern classicism by Spingarn, Joel Elias

You cannot start in your investigations with a bare, self-identical, objective fact, stripped of every ideal element or contribution from thought.

From Mind and Motion and Monism by Romanes, George John

On the other hand, to the poet who denies the ideal element in life altogether, the unifying influence of love is indispensable.

From The Poet's Poet : essays on the character and mission of the poet as interpreted in English verse of the last one hundred and fifty years by Atkins, Elizabeth

Now in literature all conditions tend to the enormous preponderance of the ideal element in experience.

From The Psychology of Beauty by Howes, Ethel Dench Puffer