invariant

American  

[in-vair-ee-uhnt] / ɪnˈvɛər i ənt /

adjective

1. unvarying; invariable; constant.

2. Mathematics. normal.

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noun

1. Mathematics. a quantity or expression that is constant throughout a certain range of conditions.

invariant British  

/ ɪnˈvɛərɪənt /

noun

1. maths an entity, quantity, etc, that is unaltered by a particular transformation of coordinates

   a point in space, rather than its coordinates, is an invariant

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adjective

1. maths (of a relationship or a property of a function, configuration, or equation) unaltered by a particular transformation of coordinates

2. a rare word for invariable

Other Word Forms

• invariance
  noun
• invariantly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of invariant

First recorded in 1850–55; in- ³ + variant

Example Sentences

"A quantum standard operates based on invariant principles of quantum mechanics, which makes it extraordinarily stable."

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

The fundamental groupoid is not a complete invariant, however.

From Scientific American • Sep. 14, 2021

Holding that number invariant required balancing out any population shifts within a state.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 2, 2021

Conway’s discovery of a new knot invariant — used to tell different knots apart — called the Conway polynomial became an important topic of research in topology.

From Nature • May 22, 2020

There are invariant and variable structures in speech that are common to all of us.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas