Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

hidden variable

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Remove ads

English

Noun

hidden variable (plural hidden variables)

  1. (physics) Any parameter that would supplement quantum mechanics so as to make it like classical mechanics; local hidden variables have been proved to be inconsistent with quantum mechanics.
  2. (figurative, loosely) An implicitly assumed influence.
    • 2023 May 22, Peter Gärdenfors, Marlize Lombard, “The Evolution of Human Causal Cognition”, in Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology, Oxford University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, pages 277–298:
      We do not perceive any physical cause of another’s actions but use our understanding of their inner state as a hidden causal variable for their behaviors. This involves a detachment of perceptual similarity from causal similarities so that the mental factors of ToM form a class of hidden variables that we add to our perception to understand causal relations in a social context.

Translations

Remove ads

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads