Definitions+and+Descriptions

**Definitions**
A definition is a rethorical pattern you use to conceptualize words. Definitions usually have a term to be defined, a general class word and a characteristic or characteristics. Example A dog (term to be defined) is an animal (general class word) that barks has four legs and a tail. (characteristics)

=Description= A description is a writing form used to create an impression of an object, person, place, event, process, mechanism, etc. You can describe people, objects, animals, plants, or you can also describe how an event happened, how a mechanism operates, etcetera. In a description you find many ** adjectives ** which are the words that will characterize any thing you want to describe. __Example 1:__ In an **equilateral triangle**, all sides are of equal length. An equilateral triangle is also an equiangular polygon, i.e. all its internal angles are equal—namely, 60°; it is a regular polygon. This description was taken from the following web page: [] __Example 2:__ A polygon that is not convex is called **concave**.[|[2]] A concave polygon will always have an interior angle with a measure that is greater than 180 degrees. It is possible to cut a concave polygon into a set of convex polygons This description was taken from the following web page: [] == =Assignment= I. Now select 5 definitions from the on-line mathematics dictionary at [], [|http://www.math.com/school/glossary/glossindex.html] ,[], or from any other math glossary or dictionary and copy them. Your job will be to identify: a. the term to be defined b. the general class word and c. the characteristics

1. Area: The number of square units needed to cover a surface

Area (the term to be defined) The number of square units (the general class word) needed to cover a surface (the characteristics)

2. Concentric circles: circles that have the same center and varying radii.

Concentric circles (the term to be defined) circles (the general class word) have the same center and varying radii (the characteristics)

3. Coordinates: A unique ordered pair of numbers that identifies a point on the coordinate plane. The first number in the ordered pair identifies the position with regard to the x-axis while the second number identifies the position on the y-axis

Coordinates (the term to be defined) A unique ordered pair of numbers (the general class word) identifies a point on the coordinate plane. The first number in the ordered pair identifies the position with regard to the x-axis while the second number identifies the position on the y-axis (the characteristics)

4. Exponent: An expression of the number of times that a base is used as a factor

Exponent (the term to be defined) expression of the number of times (the general class word) a base is used as a factor (the characteristics)

5. item: The things or objects that are the subject of a bar graph

item (the term to be defined) The things or objects (the general class word) the subject of a bar graph (the characteristics)

II. __**Using your own words**__, write 1 definition about any mathematical terms.

===A triangle (the term to be defined) is a geometric figure that has three sides and there are three types which are ===
 * equilateral, isosceles and scalene. **


 * III. In the text you will find when you click the link below, extract the first paragraph and please find all the characteristics of fractals and underline them. **

** Fractals **** has been defined as "a rough or fragmented [|geometric shape] that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called [|self-similarity]. Roots of the idea of fractals go back to the 17th century, while mathematically rigorous treatment of fractals can be traced back to functions studied by [|Karl Weierstrass], [|Georg Cantor] and [|Felix Hausdorff] a century later in studying functions that were [|continuous] but not [|differentiable] ; however, the term [|fractal] was coined by [|Benoît Mandelbrot] in 1975 and was derived from the [|Latin] [|frāctus] meaning "broken" or "fractured." A mathematical fractal is based on an [|equation] that undergoes [|iteration], a form of [|feedback] based on [|recursion]. There are several examples of fractals, which are defined as portraying exact self-similarity, quasi self-similarity, or statistical self-similarity. While fractals are a mathematical construct, they are found in nature, which has led to their inclusion in [|artwork]. They are useful in medicine, [|soil mechanics], [|seismology] , and [|technical analysis]. **

[|__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal__]
 * Also find the adjectives and circle them.Be careful ! ! ! **

1. There is a definition of fractals there. Please identify it and identify its components.


 * Fractals (the term to be defined) has been defined as “"a rough or fragmented a rough or fragmented [|geometric shape] ” (the general class word) that “can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole.”” (the characteristics) **

2. There is a description there, please identify it and tell me how you found it. What helped you when locating it.

The below phrase I think is a description because describes a process. ** A mathematical fractal is based on an [|equation] that undergoes [|iteration], a form of [|feedback] based on [|recursion]. **


 * I **** V. Now write a description of any mathematical word or topic. **
 * Factorisation: Writing a number as the product of its factors which are prime numbers. **

As soon as you have all these ready, please paste it in your wiki.

For additional information about writing definitions, please visit the following site []

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