linear combination

noun

: a mathematical entity (such as 4x + 5y + 6z) which is composed of sums and differences of elements (such as variables, matrices, or functions) especially when the coefficients are not all zero

Examples of linear combination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So any arbitrary image from the LED array would, at least in a first approximation, just be a linear combination of the signals from each of the individual LED lights that had been illuminated. IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2018 So if heritability is 1.0 all of the variation is due genetic variation; offspring are just a linear combination of their parents. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2012 The gender difference found is along a dimension in multivariate space that is a linear combination of the original variables transformed into latent variables... Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2012 In a generic lattice, lattice points are generated by taking all possible linear combinations of some set of vectors (arrows pointing in different directions). Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2015 Without an activation function, every neural network, no matter how complex, would be reducible to a linear combination of its inputs. Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'linear combination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of linear combination was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near linear combination

Cite this Entry

“Linear combination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear%20combination. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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