scalar product
nounUK /ˈskeɪlə ˈprɒdʌkt/
US /ˈskeɪlər ˈprɑːdʌkt/
A scalar product is a way to multiply two lists of numbers and get a single number.
The scalar product of (1, 2) and (3, 4) is 1×3 + 2×4 = 11.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In physics, the scalar product of force and displacement gives the work done.
Work is the scalar product of the force vector and the displacement vector.
3. A number obtained by multiplying corresponding entries of two sequences and adding the results.
The scalar product of the sequences [2, 0, 1] and [1, 3, 2] equals 2×1 + 0×3 + 1×2 = 4.
4. An operation that combines two vectors to produce a scalar equal to the product of their lengths times the cosine of the angle between them.
Because the vectors are perpendicular, their scalar product is zero.