Indeterminateness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Indeterminate \In`de*ter"mi*nate\, a. [L. indeterminatus.]
     Not determinate; not certain or fixed; indefinite; not
     precise; as, an indeterminate number of years. --Paley.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Indeterminate analysis} (Math.), that branch of analysis


        which has for its object the solution of indeterminate
        problems.
  
     {Indeterminate coefficients} (Math.), coefficients
        arbitrarily assumed for convenience of calculation, or to
        facilitate some artifice of analysis. Their values are
        subsequently determined.
  
     {Indeterminate equation} (Math.), an equation in which the
        unknown quantities admit of an infinite number of values,
        or sets of values. A group of equations is indeterminate
        when it contains more unknown quantities than there are
        equations.
  
     {Indeterminate inflorescence} (Bot.), a mode of inflorescence
        in which the flowers all arise from axillary buds, the
        terminal bud going on to grow and sometimes continuing the
        stem indefinitely; -- called also {acropetal
        inflorescence}, {botryose inflorescence}, {centripetal
        inflorescence}, and {indefinite inflorescence}. --Gray.
  
     {Indeterminate problem} (Math.), a problem which admits of an
        infinite number of solutions, or one in which there are
        fewer imposed conditions than there are unknown or
        required results.
  
     {Indeterminate quantity} (Math.), a quantity which has no
        fixed value, but which may be varied in accordance with
        any proposed condition.
  
     {Indeterminate series} (Math.), a series whose terms proceed
        by the powers of an indeterminate quantity, sometimes also
        with indeterminate exponents, or indeterminate
        coefficients. -- {In`de*ter"mi*nate*ly} adv. --
        {In`de*ter"mi*nate*ness}, n.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  indeterminateness
       n : the quality of being vague and poorly defined [syn: {indefiniteness},
            {indefinity}, {indetermination}, {indeterminacy}]