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ent or thorough inquiry or examination; as, the investigations of the philosopher and the mathematician; the investigations of the judge, the moralist.

rvals; true pitch. (b) The giving all chords and intervals in their purity or their exact mathematical ratio, or without temperament; a process in which the number of notes and intervals required in the various keys is much greater than the twelve to the octave used in systems of temperament. H. W. Poole.…

curves, curves produced by machinery, or a combination of motions, as distinguished from mathematical curves.

nition; -- chiefly used in the plural. There is a great difference in the delivery of the mathematics, which are the most abstracted of knowledges. Bacon. Knowledges is a term in frequent use by Bacon, and, though now obsolete, should be revived, as without it we are compelled to borrow "cognitions" to express its impo…

al cleavage (Crystallog.), cleavage parallel to the lateral planes. -- Lateral equation (Math.), an equation of the first degree. [Obs.] -- Lateral line (Anat.), in fishes, a line of sensory organs along either side of the body, often marked by a distinct line of color. -- Lateral pressure or stress (Mech.), a pressu…

rated or accepted for immediate use in the demonstration of some other proposition, as in mathematics or logic.

me breadth throughout, except at the extremities; as, a linear leaf. Linear differential (Math.), an equation which is of the first degree, when the expression which is equated to zero is regarded as a function of the dependent variable and its differential coefficients. -- Linear equation (Math.), an equation of the…

contract of which the whole evidence is given in writing. Bouvier. -- Literal equation (Math.), an equation in which known quantities are expressed either wholly or in part by means of letters; -- distinguished from a numerical equation.

Of or pertaining to logarithms; consisting of logarithms. Logarithmic curve (Math.), a curve which, referred to a system of rectangular coördinate axes, is such that the ordinate of any point will be the logarithm of its abscissa. -- Logarithmic spiral, a spiral curve such that radii drawn from its pole or eye at equa…

revolution of the planet, equivalent to the semi-major axis of the orbit. -- Mean error (Math. Phys.), the average error of a number of observations found by taking the mean value of the positive and negative errors without regard to sign. -- Mean-square error, or Error of the mean square (Math. Phys.), the error the…

space, or vice versa, and are used separately or in combination. -- Mechanical solution (Math.), a solution of a problem by any art or contrivance not strictly geometrical, as by means of the ruler and compasses, or other instruments.

That science, or branch of applied mathematics, which treats of the action of forces on bodies.

Less; requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus quantity. Minus sign (Math.), the sign [-] denoting minus, or less, prefixed to negative quantities, or quantities to be subtracted. See Negative sign, under Negative.

so the efficiency of the machine. Mosley. Rankine. -- Modulus of a system of logarithms (Math.), a number by which all the Napierian logarithms must be multiplied to obtain the logarithms in another system. -- Modulus of elasticity. (a) The measure of the elastic force of any substance, expressed by the ratio of a st…

An instrument for experimenting upon the mathematical relations of musical sounds. It consists of a single string stretched between two bridges, one or both of which are movable, and which stand upon a graduated rule for the purpose of readily changing and measuring the length of the part of the string between them.…

ong the settlers was alarming. Bill of mortality. See under Bill. -- Law of mortality, a mathematical relation between the numbers living at different ages, so that from a given large number of persons alive at one age, it can be computed what number are likely to survive a given number of years. -- Table of mortalit…

d also the Law of Dalton, from its discoverer. -- Multiple algebra, a branch of advanced mathematics that treats of operations upon units compounded of two or more unlike units. -- Multiple conjugation (Biol.), a coalescence of many cells (as where an indefinite number of amoeboid cells flow together into a single ma…

pious; execrable. [Obs.] "Nefand adominations." Sheldon. "Nefandous high treason." Cotton Mather.

Same as Nemathelminthes.

osophy (as opposed to the theories of Descartes and others), and, most frequently, to the mathematical theory of universal gravitation. -- Newtonian telescope (Astron.), a reflecting telescope, in which rays from the large speculum are received by a plane mirror placed diagonally in the axis, and near the open end of…