step function

American

noun

Mathematics.

a function that is constant on each of a finite set of subintervals of its domain, the union of the subintervals being the domain.

step function British

noun

an electrical waveform that rises or falls instantly from one level to another

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of step function

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“For AI to to see the step function change in productivity, there has to be a benefit to the end user.”

From MarketWatch

“We expect numbers will have to continue marching higher and see step function estimate revisions upward over the next year. Given the significant upside to numbers, we are making Broadcom our top pick,” the analysts wrote.

From Barron's

That’s autonomy and that’s the key step function value.

From The Verge

“There’s been steady improvement over time, but it’s clear there would not be binary step function where one day we don’t have AVs and the next they’re everywhere.”

From The Verge

Third-generation Ryzen mobile is a step function.

From The Verge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023