route-dependent gauge
nounA gauge whose value changes depending on which path you take to get there.
In curved space, the route-dependent gauge gave a different reading when the particle looped around the planet.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A measuring device in a network whose calibration depends on the specific route the signal travels.
The technician noted that the route-dependent gauge drifted whenever traffic was rerouted through the backup link.
3. In physics, a field variable that cannot be defined globally without choosing a path.
The route-dependent gauge around the magnetic flux tube revealed a nonzero phase shift.
4. A setting or standard that shifts based on the sequence of steps followed rather than a fixed reference.
Their quality check was a route-dependent gauge, so two inspectors following different procedures got different scores.