| 释义 |
Pfaffian, a. and n. Math.|ˈpfæfɪən|
[f. proper name Pfaff (see below) + -ian.]
A. adj. Pertaining to, discussed by, or named after, the German mathematician Johann Friedrich Pfaff (1765–1825): applied to certain differential equations, etc.
B. n. Name given by Cayley to a species of function occurring in Pfaff's investigation of differential equations.
1852Cayley Coll. Math. Papers II. 19 The permutants of this class (from their connexion with the researches of Pfaff on differential equations) I shall term ‘Pfaffians’. 1860Ibid. IV. 600 A skew symmetrical determinant of any even order is the square of a Pfaffian. |