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In projective geometry and related contexts, an asymptote of a curve is a line which is tangent to the curve at a point at infinity. [1] [2] The word asymptote is derived from the Greek ἀσύμπτωτος (asumptōtos) which means "not falling together", from ἀ priv. + σύν "together" + πτωτ-ός "fallen". [3]
Tangential speech or tangentiality is a communication disorder in which the train of thought of the speaker wanders and shows a lack of focus, never returning to the initial topic of the conversation. [1]
A similar definition applies to space curves and curves in n-dimensional Euclidean space. The point where the tangent line and the curve meet or intersect is called the point of tangency. The tangent line is said to be "going in the same direction" as the curve, and is thus the best straight-line approximation to the curve at that point.
A related term is tangentiality—it refers to off-the-point, oblique or irrelevant answers given to questions. [2] In some studies on creativity, knight's move thinking—while describing a similarly loose association of ideas—is not considered a mental disorder or the hallmark of one; it is sometimes used as a synonym for lateral thinking.
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. [2] For example, in the English language , the words begin , start , commence , and initiate are all synonyms of one another: they are synonymous .
The main differences between the two editions (for either version of the book) are those of American English v. British English spellings, though The Deeper Meaning of Liff contains different definitions for both the word "Glossop" and the titular word "Liff". In The Deeper Meaning of Liff, Liff is defined as a phenomenon for which there is no ...
The tangent is the x-axis, which cuts the graph at this point. An example of a non-stationary point of inflection is the point (0, 0) on the graph of y = x 3 + ax, for any nonzero a. The tangent at the origin is the line y = ax, which cuts the graph at this point.
Tangent (clavichord), a part of the action of the clavichord that both initiates and sustains a tone, and helps determine pitch; Tangent (tangent piano), a part of the action of the tangent piano that only initiates the sound by striking the string(s) and rebounding immediately in the manner of a piano