Matrix vs Vector - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between matrix and vector

is that matrix is matrix while vector is (mathematics) a directed quantity, one with both magnitude and direction; the signed difference between two points.

As a verb vector is

to set (particularly an aircraft) on a course toward a selected point.

matrix

English

Noun

(en-noun)

The womb.

* 1646 , Sir Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica , III.17:

upon conception the inward orifice of the matrix exactly closeth, so that it commonly admitteth nothing after [...].

* 1969 , Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor , Penguin 2011, p. 296:

In very rare cases, when the matrix just goes on pegging away automatically, the doctor can take advantage of that and ease out the second brat who then can be considered to be, say, three minutes younger [...].

(biology) The material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.

(biology) An extracellular matrix, the material or tissue between the cells of animals or plants.

(biology) Part of the mitochondrion.

(biology) The medium in which bacteria are cultured.

(mathematics) A rectangular arrangement of numbers or terms having various uses such as transforming coordinates in geometry, solving systems of linear equations in linear algebra and representing graphs in graph theory.

(computing) A two-dimensional array.

A table of data.

(geology) A geological matrix, the outer material of a rock consisting of larger grains embedded in a material consisting of smaller ones.

(archaeology and paleontology) The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.

(analytical chemistry) The environment from which a given sample is taken.

Synonyms

* (mathematics) array, table * (table of data) array, grid, spreadsheet, table * (computing) array

Derived terms

* dot matrix * extracellular matrix * geological matrix * matricial

vector

English

(wikify) (wikipedia vector)

Noun

(en noun)

(mathematics) A directed quantity, one with both magnitude and direction; the signed difference between two points.

(mathematics) An ordered tuple representing a directed quantity or the (soplink) between two points.

(mathematics) Any member of a (generalized) vector space.

The vectors in ${\mathbb Q}[X]$ are the single-variable polynomials with rational coefficients: one is $x^{42}+\frac1{137}x-1$ .

(aviation) A chosen course or direction for motion, as of an aircraft.

(senseid)(epidemiology) A carrier of a disease-causing agent.

(sociology) A person or entity that passes along an urban legend or other meme.

(psychology) A recurring psychosocial issue that stimulates growth and development in the personality.

The way in which the eyes are drawn across the visual text. The trail that a book cover can encourage the eyes to follow from certain objects to others.

(computing, operating systems) A memory address containing the address of a code entry point, usually one which is part of a table and often one that is dereferenced]] and [[jump, jumped to during the execution of an interrupt.

(programming) A one-dimensional array.

Usage notes

* (programming) The term is used loosely when the indices are not (either positive or non-negative) integers.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

* * * * * * * (hyp-mid3) * * * * * * * (hyp-mid3) * * * ) * * * (hyp-bottom)

Derived terms

* * * * * * * * *

Verb

(en verb)

To set (particularly an aircraft) on a course toward a selected point.

* 1994 , Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Tendencies

if love is vectored toward an object and Elinor's here flies toward Marianne, Marianne's in turn toward Willoughby.

References

* The New Oxford Dictionary of English

Anagrams

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