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The act of solving, or the state of being solved; the disentanglement of any intricate problem or difficult question; explanation; clearing up; -- used especially in mathematics, either of the process of solving an equation or problem, or the result of the process.

ity or state of being solvable; as, the solvability of a difficulty; the solvability of a problem.

up out to a result or conclusion; as, to solve a doubt; to solve difficulties; to solve a problem. True piety would effectually solve such scruples. South. God shall solve the dark decrees of fate. Tickell.

erical trigonometry to the properties and relations of the circles of the sphere, and the problems connected with them, in astronomy and geography, as to the latitudes and longitudes, distance and bearing, of places on the earth, and the right ascension and declination, altitude and azimuth, rising and setting, etc., o…

o determine the exact contents of a circle in square measure. The solution of this famous problem is now generally admitted to be impossible.

To cause to stick; to bring to a stand; to pose; to puzzle; as, to stick one with a hard problem. [Colloq.]

A problem to be solved, or an example to be wrought out. Macaulay. A sum in arithmetic wherein a flaw discovered at a particular point is ipso facto fatal to the whole. Gladstone. A large sheet of paper . . . covered with long sums. Dickens. Algebraic sum, as distinguished from arithmetical sum, the aggregate of two or…

To begin to deal with; as, to tackle the problem.

Questionable; equivocal; indefinite; problematical. "The fashion of uncertain evils." Milton. From certain dangers to uncertain praise. Dryden.

eaning or intention of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink. Speaketh [i. e., speak thou] so plain at this ti…

nto God such an unlimited exercise of mercy as may destroy his justice. Rogers. Unlimited problem (Math.), a problem which is capable of an infinite number of solutions. -- Unlimited pump, a kind of deep-well pump placed at the level of the water, and operated from above ground. -- Un*lim"it*ed*ly, adv. -- Un*lim"it…

called a function of x. There may be two or more independent variables in an equation or problem. Cf. Dependent variable, under Dependent.

g a plea. Verification of an equation (Math.), the operation of testing the equation of a problem, to see whether it expresses truly the conditions of the problem. Davies & Peck. (Math. Dict.)

forces and their points of application, -- first used by Clausius in the investigation of problems in molecular physics.

ypothetical displacement, assumed in analysis to facilitate the investigation of statical problems. With respect to any given force of a number of forces holding a material system in equilibrium, it is the projection, upon the direction of the force, of a line joining its point of application with a new position of tha…

To solve, as a problem. (d) To exhaust, as a mine, by working. -- To work up. (a) To raise; to excite; to stir up; as, to work up the passions to rage. The sun, that rolls his chariot o'er their heads, Works up more fire and color in their cheeks. Addison.

the value of unknown quantities by direct search, in investigation, or in the solution of problems. [R.] Hutton.