We all come across this noun almost every day. And in completely different areas. We are talking about the word "parameter" (or "parameters"). What does it mean? Where did it come from? What industries are most commonly used? Let's find the answers to these questions.
Origin of the studied noun
Before you know what the word "parameters" means, you should know about its etymology.
Like most specific terms, this one was borrowed from ancient Greek. In ancient times, the verb παραΜετρέω (“I measure”) was adopted in it. It was from him that the noun “parameter” was formed.
In Russian, Ukrainian and other Slavic languages, this name could get through either German (Parameter) or English (parameter). It is less likely, but still possible, that it came from French (paramètre) or Polish (parametr). In any case, this term can be considered international, since in most languages of the world it is spelled and pronounced almost identically.
General definition of the word "parameter"
Understoodwith etymology, it is worth moving on to the interpretation of the lexical meaning of the noun in question.
So, what are "parameters" (or "parameter")? This is the name of a quantity that characterizes some properties, abilities, state, size or shape of an object, process, system phenomenon, etc.
It is worth noting that in most cases, parameters can be measured. The result of this is a value or a number.
For example, when buying a computer, you should always ask the seller about its parameters. In this case, we are talking about the size of the hard disk and its breakdown (it depends on how much data can be stored in the device’s memory and how fast it will work), processor power, type of motherboard, version of the operating system installed on the computer (“Windows”, "Linux"), etc. All this is called "computer settings". Tablets, laptops, smartphones and other modern "smart" technology also have them.
It is worth noting that other electrical appliances also have similar characteristics, but they differ depending on the type of device and its purpose.
The term in question is not only used
ko to characterize various appliances, but also to describe the unique features of the human body. The so-called figure parameters include not only the size of the chest, waist and hips, but also the shoulders, calves, wrists and neck.
Math Parameters
Having learned the answer tothe question of what parameters are, it is worth considering in more detail the meaning of this term in various industries.
Quite actively it is used in the queen of all sciences - mathematics. In it, the term under study means a value whose numerical values provide an opportunity to distinguish a certain element among similar ones.
For example, in the parabola equation y=ax² + bx + c, the values encrypted in letters a, b and c are the parameters. Depending on what values correspond to them, parabolas also differ.
In addition to the above, in mathematics there is another way of interpreting the term under study. This is the name of an additional variable used for the parametric representation of a function.
Technical parameter
Having figured out what parameters are in mathematics, it is worth paying attention to the meaning of this term in technology. In this area, this is the name given to a characteristic of a certain property of a process or object that can be quantified.
For example, it can be mass, speed, size or power.
Technical parameters according to the type of relationship to an object or process are divided into: external and internal
Depending on the type of processes or objects in technology, there are: mechanical (tension, mass, coefficient of friction), thermal engineering (specific heat capacity, density, thermal conductivity) and electrical parameters (inductance, resistance, etc.).
System characteristics (thermodynamics)
BIn this sphere, such a name is given to physical quantities with the help of which the state of a thermodynamic system is described. These include: pressure, volume, temperature, concentration of a substance and the like.
As in the case of technical parameters, system parameters are also divided into types.
- Intensive - are independent of the mass of the entire system. These are pressure, temperature, concentration of a substance, magnetic induction and others.
- Extensive parameters of a system are proportional to its mass. These include volume, internal energy, entropy, enthalpy, free energy, and Gibbs energy.
Other use
Having learned what parameters are in mathematics, mechanics and thermodynamics, it is worth exploring in what other areas this term is used.
In the field of creating computer programs, the studied noun is a variable, which is assigned the value of a constant, a variable, etc.
- This term is very actively used in sociology. Scientists in this field use a system of structural parameters that allow them to study the structure and nature of modern society.
- To determine the place of a particular person in society, it is characterized by nominal (sex, race, nationality, language, religion, country and region of residence, etc.) and rank parameters (origin, education, field of activity, position, amount of money and the like).
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This word is widely usedand in the mining industry. Depending on the method of extraction of minerals, different characteristics are used.
For example, for blast holes, these are parameters such as diameter, depth or angle of inclination, and for quarries, the final depth, mineral reserves, and the like. The system of open pit mining also takes into account its unique characteristics (the width of the working platform, the rate of deepening of work, and the like).
what does the word parameters mean - Dietetics is another area in which there are a number of parameters. So, when drawing up the right diet, the properties of the body of a particular person (height, weight, ratio of fat and muscle, individual metabolism) are taken into account.
By the way, many of these characteristics are also taken into account when scheduling training for athletes, as well as when selecting various equipment.
This list is by no means exhaustive, as almost every industry has parameters to consider. Also, this term is used in logic, logistics, medicine, biology, chemistry, etc.
What are the synonyms for the word "parameters"?
Having de alt with the meaning and scope of the noun under study, it is worth paying attention to whether it is possible to find synonyms for it.
There is no one hundred percent analogue for this term, however, depending on the scope, it can be replaced by the following words: characteristics, quantities, measures, dimensions, dimensions, format, norm.
