ˌantisyˈmmetricaladj.

1913 L. Silberstein Vectorial Mech. v. 96 The decomposition of the general operator into a symmetrical and a non-symmetrical part (the last being the so-called antisymmetrical part) can be effected in but one way.

1923 J. Rice Relativity vi. 126 If its components satisfy the relations P_λμ = −P_μλ it [sc. the tensor] is called ‘anti-symmetric’.

1926 P. A. M. Dirac in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 112 669 If there is interaction between the electrons, there will still be symmetrical and antisymmetrical eigen-functions... An antisymmetrical eigenfunction vanishes identically when two of the electrons are in the same orbit.

1939 Mind 48 113 The law of Fermi-Dirac for anti~symmetric wave-functions.

1948 E. A. Milne Vectorial Mechanics iii. 40 A tensor T is said to be anti-symmetrical if its components in any triad satisfy the relation T_βα = −T^αβ.

1950 E. Schrödinger Space-time Struct. ii. 16 Envisage a covariant antisymmetric tensor of the fourth rank T_klmn. By antisymmetric we mean that an exchange of any two subscripts should just merely produce a change of sign of the component.

1964 E. Bach Introd. Transformational Gram. vii. 156 Where R(x, y) and R(y, x) always imply identity of x and y the relation is called antisymmetric.

1923 J. Rice Relativity vi. 127 So the anti-symmetry is preserved after transformation.