With this noun we all come across almost every day. Moreover, in completely different areas. This is the word “parameter” (or “parameters”). What does it matter? Where did it come from? What industries are most often used? Let's find the answers to these questions.
The origin of the studied noun
Before you know what the word "parameters" means, it is worth learning about its etymology.
Like most specific terms, this was borrowed from the ancient Greek language. In ancient times, it adopted the verb παραμετρέω ("measure"). It was from him that the noun “parameter” was formed.
This name could get into Russian, Ukrainian and other Slavic languages through the mediation of either German (Parameter) or English (parameter). Less likely, but still possible, it came from French (paramètre) or Polish (parametr). In any case, this term can be considered international, since in most languages of the world it is written and pronounced almost identically.
General definition of the word "parameter"
Having dealt with the etymology, it is worth moving on to the interpretation of the lexical meaning of the considered noun.
So what are “parameters” (or “parameter”)? This is the name of the quantity with the help of which some properties, abilities, state, size or shape of an object, process, system phenomenon, etc. are characterized.
It is worth noting that in most cases, the parameters can be measured. The result of this is a quantity or number.
For example, when buying a computer, you should always find out from the seller about its parameters. In this case, we are talking about the volume of the hard drive and its breakdown (it depends on how much data can be stored in the device’s memory and how quickly it will work), processor power, type of motherboard, version of the operating system installed on the computer ("Windows" , "Linux"), etc. All this is called "computer settings." They also have tablets, laptops, smartphones and other modern “intelligent” technology.
It is worth noting that other electrical appliances also have similar characteristics, however, they differ depending on the type of apparatus and its purpose.
The term in question is used not only
to characterize various devices, but also to describe the unique characteristics of the human body. The so-called figure parameters include not only the size of the chest, waist and hips, but the shoulders, calves, wrists and neck.
Mathematical parameters
Having learned the answer to the question of what parameters are, it is worthwhile to consider in more detail the meaning of this term in various industries.
Quite actively it is used in the queen of all sciences - mathematics. In it, the term studied means a quantity, the numerical values of which provide the ability to distinguish a specific element among similar ones.
For example, in the parabola equation y = ax2 + bx + c, the values encrypted in the letters a, b, and c are parameters. Depending on what values correspond to them, parabolas also differ.
In addition to the above, in mathematics there is another way of interpreting the term being studied. This is the name of the additional variable used for the parametric representation of the function.
Technical parameter
Having understood what parameters are in mathematics, it is worth paying attention to the meaning of this term in technology. In this area, the so-called characteristic of a specific property of a process or object that allows quantification.
For example, it could be mass, speed, size or power.
Technical parameters for the type of relationship to an object or process are divided into: external and internal
Depending on the type of processes or objects in technology, the following are distinguished: mechanical (tension, mass, friction coefficient), heat engineering (specific heat, density, thermal conductivity) and electrical parameters (inductance, resistance, etc.).
System characteristics (thermodynamics)
In this field, physical quantities have the name, with the help of which the state of the thermodynamic system is described. These include: pressure, volume, temperature, substance concentration and the like.
As with technical ones, system parameters are also divided into views.
- Intensive - are independent of the mass of the entire system. This pressure, temperature, concentration of matter, magnetic induction and others.
- Extensive system parameters are proportional to its mass. These include volume, internal energy, entropy, enthalpy, free energy, and Gibbs energy.
Use in other areas
Having learned what parameters are in mathematics, mechanics and thermodynamics, it is worth exploring in which other areas this term is applied.
In the field of creating computer programs, the studied noun is called a variable, which is assigned the value of a constant, variable, etc.
- This term is very actively used in sociology. Scientists in this industry use a system of structural parameters that allow them to study the structure and nature of modern society.
To determine the place of a particular person in society, they are characterized by their nominal (gender, race, nationality, language, religion, country and region of residence, etc.) and rank parameters (origin, education, field of activity, position, amount of money, etc. )- The word is widely used in mining. Depending on the method of extraction of minerals, their different characteristics are applied.
For example, for blastholes, these are parameters such as diameter, depth, or angle of inclination, and for quarries, the final depth, mineral reserves, and the like. The open-pit mining system also takes into account its unique characteristics (work site width, pace of work deepening, and the like). - Dietology is another area in which there are a number of parameters. So, when drawing up the correct diet, the properties of the body of a particular person are taken into account (height, weight, ratio of fat and muscle, individual metabolism).
By the way, many of these characteristics are also taken into account when drawing up a training schedule for athletes, as well as in the selection of various equipment.
This list is far from complete, since almost every industry has to take into account the parameters. Also, this term is used in logic, logistics, medicine, biology, chemistry, etc.
What synonyms can be selected for the word “parameters”?
Having understood the meaning and scope of the studied noun, it is worth paying attention to whether it is possible to choose synonyms for it.
There is no 100% analogue for this term, however, depending on the scope of application, it can be replaced with the following words: characteristics, values, measures, sizes, dimensions, dimensions, format, norm.