vector space

noun

: a set of vectors along with operations of addition and multiplication such that the set is a commutative group under addition, it includes a multiplicative inverse, and multiplication by scalars is both associative and distributive

Examples of vector space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Many structures in modern math — rings, fields and vector spaces, for example — are created when more structure is added to groups. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024 This set of probabilities can be represented as a vector that places the word in a specific position within a multi-dimensional vector space. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2024 Using this approach, computer scientists can study the patterns that emerge within this vector space. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2024 Similar words, like elegant and fancy, will have similar vectors, and will also be near each other in the vector space. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2024 Words are too complex to represent in only two dimensions, so language models use vector spaces with hundreds or even thousands of dimensions. Timothy B. Lee and Sean Trott, Ars Technica, 31 July 2023 The students then learned to map out the likely impact of teeth scrubbing on plaque growth, before pivoting to other possible applications of advanced concepts like vector spaces and differential equations. Daniel Mollenkamp, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 In this world, each vector space has only a finite number of vectors. Anil Ananthaswamy, Quanta Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023 Retailers were among the first companies to take advantage of early AI and machine learning technology like vector space model search and semantic vector modeling. Cory Cummings, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vector space.' 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

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vector space was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near vector space

Cite this Entry

“Vector space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vector%20space. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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