scalar product

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. inner product.

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scalar product British  

noun

1. Also called: dot product.  the product of two vectors to form a scalar, whose value is the product of the magnitudes of the vectors and the cosine of the angle between them. Written: A · B or AB Compare vector product

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scalar product Scientific  

1. The numerical product of the lengths of two vectors and the cosine of the angle between them.

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Etymology

Origin of scalar product

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

To calculate the angle between two vectors, you multiply them together using the scalar product and then divide by the two vector lengths.

From Scientific American • Aug. 17, 2023

The converse is also true: If the vectors are coplanar, then their triple scalar product is zero.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

As we have seen, the dot product is often called the scalar product because it results in a scalar.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

We have seen how to use the triple scalar product and how to find a vector orthogonal to a plane.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

For this reason, the dot product is often called the scalar product.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016