WordGarden.io
Back to search

invariance

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪnˈvɛə.ri.əns/countableuncountablenoun
  • /ɪnˈvɛː.ri.əns/countableuncountablenoun

US

  • /ˌɪnˈvɛriəns/

Description

Invariance describes the quality of staying the same even when something else changes. It is often used in math and science for a feature, rule, or relationship that does not change under certain conditions or transformations. For example, if you rotate a square, its basic shape stays the same. In that sense, the shape shows invariance under rotation.

The idea also appears in everyday explanations of systems and rules. You might say a scientific law shows invariance if it works the same way in different places or at different times. The main idea is simple: something important remains unchanged, even when the situation around it shifts.

Examples

  1. 1

    Scientific testing

    The experiment tested the invariance of the result across different laboratories.

  2. 2

    Geometry

    In geometry, students study the invariance of distance under rotation.

  3. 3

    Survey comparison

    Researchers checked for measurement invariance before comparing survey scores from different countries.

    • Domain

      measurement invariance

      when a test or survey works the same way for different groups

  4. 4

    Image recognition

    The image model uses translation invariance to recognize an object wherever it appears in the picture.

    • Domain

      translation invariance

      not depending on exact position

  5. 5

    Data algorithms

    The algorithm exploits several invariances in the data, such as scale and angle.

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • invariancenoun