simplex
nounUK /ˈsɪmplɪsiːz/ · US /ˈsɪmpləˌsiz/
Etymology
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin simplex (“plain, simple; single”). The first part, sim-, comes from Proto-Indo-European *sem-, *sm̥- (“one; together”). The second part, -plex, may be from *pleḱ- (“to weave”). The noun is derived from the adjective. The plural forms simplices and simplicia are learned borrowings from Latin simplicēs (masculine or feminine) and simplicia (neuter), respectively plural forms of simplex. Noun sense 1 (“generalization of a triangle or tetrahedron to an arbitrary dimension”) was apparently coined by the Dutch mathematician Pieter Hendrik Schoute (1846–1913) as a short version of Simplicissimum in Mehrdimensionale Geometrie (in German, 1902). (In his pioneering works on algebraic topology, the French mathematician Henri Poincaré (1854–1912) had previously introduced the concept, but not the actual term simplex.)
Algebraic topology, Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences, Topology A generalization of a triangle or tetrahedron to an arbitrary dimension; more accurately, the convex hull of n+1 affinely independent points in n-dimensional space.
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A word which is not compound and contains no derivational affixes (inflectional affixes are usually disregarded); a monomorphemic word.
- The word weak is a simplex. Its derivative weaken is not.
Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Archaic In full simplex sentence: in transformational grammar: a simple sentence which is the product of a few transformations; a kernel sentence.
- The question is: is 139. [“Priexal Vanja. ‘arrived Vanya’”] a simplex or is it a cleft structure in which all 'superfluous' constituents were deleted. […] The only indication that 139. is a simplex is the sentence intonation and the absence of a break between the verb and the subject.1978, Helga Harries-Delisle, “Contrastive Emphasis and Cleft Sentences”, in Joseph H[arold] Greenberg, editor, Universals of Human Language, volume 4 (Syntax), Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 460:
An apartment (or, sometimes, another type of property) having only one floor or storey; a single-storey property.
- Synonyms
- monoplex
- Derived terms
- cosimplex, hypersimplex, n-simplex, simplex method, subsimplex
- Related terms
- simplicial, simplicial complex