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In the same context, variables that are independent of x define constant functions and are therefore called constant. For example, a constant of integration is an arbitrary constant function that is added to a particular antiderivative to obtain the other antiderivatives.
A constant may be used to define a constant function that ignores its arguments and always gives the same value. [6] A constant function of a single variable, such as f ( x ) = 5 {\displaystyle f(x)=5} , has a graph of a horizontal line parallel to the x -axis. [ 7 ]
Besides the static constants described above, many procedural languages such as Ada and C++ extend the concept of constantness toward global variables that are created at initialization time, local variables that are automatically created at runtime on the stack or in registers, to dynamically allocated memory that is accessed by pointer, and to parameter lists in function headers.
A mathematical constant is a key number whose value is fixed by an unambiguous definition, often referred to by a symbol (e.g., an alphabet letter), or by mathematicians' names to facilitate using it across multiple mathematical problems. [1]
He popularized the use of letters from the beginning of the alphabet to denote constants and letters from the end of the alphabet to denote variables, as can be seen above, in the general formula for a polynomial in one variable, where the a s denote constants and x denotes a variable. Descartes introduced the use of superscripts to denote ...
A constant coefficient, also known as constant term or simply constant, is a quantity either implicitly attached to the zeroth power of a variable or not attached to other variables in an expression; for example, the constant coefficients of the expressions above are the number 3 and the parameter c, involved in 3=c ⋅ x 0.
The term Variable is relevant to several contexts, and is especially important to mathematics and computer science. Scientists and engineers will often use mathematical variables in formulae and equations, such as E = m c 2; they will also have their own special uses of the term. The term Variable can also occur in other contexts, such as ...
Control variable or scientific constant, in experimentation the unchanging or constant variable; Physical constant, a physical quantity generally believed to be universal and unchanging; Constant (computer programming), a value that, unlike a variable, cannot be reassociated with a different value; Logical constant, a symbol in symbolic logic ...