commutator

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

An electrical switch, in a generator or motor, that periodically reverses the direction of an electric current.
A binary map in a given group G, given by [g, h] = ghg⁻¹h⁻¹, where g and h are elements of G, which yields the group's identity if and only if the group operation commutes for g and h.
A binary map in a given ring R, given by [a, b] = ab − ba, where a and b are elements of R, which yields the ring's zero element if and only if the multiplication operation commutes for a and b.

commutator commutators

Back-formation from commutation (in the late 19th century), as is commutate (verb) too.

rheotrope electrepeter

nilpotent group solvable group

anticommutator commutator length commutatorless commutator subgroup multicommutator self-commutator subcommutator

German: Kommutator Japanese: 交換子 Swedish: kommutator Turkish: değişeç

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

Back to search All on C Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary