characteristic root

noun Mathematics.

a scalar for which there exists a nonzero vector such that the scalar times the vector equals the value of the vector under a given linear transformation on a vector space.
a root of the characteristic equation of a given matrix.
Also called characteristic value, eigenvalue, latent root, proper value.

Origin of characteristic root

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby characteristic root

characteristic, characteristic curve, characteristic equation, characteristic function, characteristic polynomial, characteristic root, characteristic vector, characteristic velocity, characteristic x-ray, characterization, characterize