Definition of "alternation" in Anglais

noun

1. The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence

   • the alternation of day and night
   • alternation of summer and winter
   • alternation between night shifts and day shifts
   • alternation of feelings between hope and fear

2. (religion) The response of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister.

3. (phonology) Ablaut.

4. (linguistics) A pattern by which more than one construct is possible, as with "Alice cooked Bob dinner" and "Alice cooked dinner for Bob".

   • dative alternation; locative alternation

5. (logic) The "inclusive or" truth function.

6. (mathematics) A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values.

7. (mathematics, proscribed) A permutation.

8. (computing) A construct in a regular expression that can match any of several specified subexpressions.

9. (geometry) A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or tiling in which alternate vertices are removed.

   • 1932, Harold Scott Macdonald Coxeter, The densities of the regular polytopes, part 2, reprinted in 1995, F. Arthur Sherk, Peter Mcmullen, Anthony C. Thompson, Asia Ivić Weiss (editors), Kaleidoscopes: Selected Writings of H. S. M. Coxeter, page 54, This case suggests that the alternation of a polyhedron should be bounded by actual vertex figures and alternated faces. The case of the cube is in agreement with this notion, since the alternated square is nothing.