pseudovectorn.adj.
/ˈs(j)uːdə(ʊ)ˌvɛktə/, U.S. /ˈsudoʊˌvɛktər/ (in sense B.)Brit. /ˌs(j)uːdə(ʊ)ˈvɛktə/, U.S. /ˌsudoʊˈvɛktər/ Mathematics and Physics.
A. n.
A vector whose sign is unchanged when the signs of all its components are changed.An example is the vector product of two vectors: changing the sign of both vectors leaves their vector product unchanged.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > quantum mechanics > quantum field theory > [noun] > pseudovector
pseudovector1922
the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > tensor > [noun] > vector > specific type of
R1675
radius vector1740
spin vector1882
axial vector1903
polar vector1903
free vector1904
position vector1906
four-vector1914
pseudovector1922
row vector1928
1922 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 102 282 There exists a true Poynting vector... We shall examine whether there is not in addition a Poynting pseudo-vector.
1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) II. 413/1 In general, vectors associated with rotations belong to the category of pseudovectors.
1992 Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 24 305 The pseudo-vector D(a) is nonzero only if the turbulence lacks reflectional symmetry.
B. adj.
Relating to or of the nature of a pseudovector; mathematically described or represented by a pseudovector.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > tensor > [adjective] > of nature of a vector > of specific vector(s)
orthogonal1913
pseudovector1939
1939 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 173 106 The above schemes may be equally well taken to describe the dual theories, i.e. the ‘pseudovector’ and the ‘pseudoscalar’ theory respectively.
1947 Rev. Mod. Physics 19 2/2 We are left with mesons of spin 0..or possibly spin 1 (vector or pseudovector fields).
1964 Cambr. Rev. 24 Oct. 51/1 The assumed conservation of the pseudovector current.
1994 D. E. Rose Symbolic & Connectionist Approach Legal Information Retrieval viii. 191 This more concise representation allowed more of the network to reside in memory, more than offsetting the extra cost of performing the pseudo-vector operations.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1922