tetration

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The arithmetic operator consisting of repeated exponentiation, by analogy with exponentiation being repeated multiplication and multiplication being repeated addition, ᵇᵃ denoting a to the power of a to the power of … to the power of a, in which a appears b times.

Pronunciation

/tɛˈtɹeɪʃn̩/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tetration.wav /tɛˈtɹeɪʃən/

Word forms

tetration tetrations

Etymology

PIE word *kʷetwóres From tetra- (prefix meaning ‘four’) + (itera)tion, from the fact that tetration is in fourth place after addition, multiplication, and exponentiation. The word was coined by the English mathematician Reuben Goodstein (1912–1985).

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