eigenvalue
noun
ei·gen·val·ue
ˈī-gən-ˌval-(ˌ)yü 
: a scalar associated with a given linear transformation of a vector space and having the property that there is some nonzero vector which when multiplied by the scalar is equal to the vector obtained by letting the transformation operate on the vector
especially
: a root of the characteristic equation of a matrix
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Wigner conjectured that the eigenvalues of any random matrix should always obey the same probability distribution.
—
Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Mathematicians measure the size of those changes using numbers called eigenvalues.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, 4 Aug. 2024
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Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Mathematicians measure the size of those changes using numbers called eigenvalues.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, 4 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Eigenvalue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eigenvalue. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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