Dictionary » V » Variable

Variable

Definition

noun, plural: variables

(1) Something that varies or have no fixed quantitative value.

(2) A quantity that assumes a set of values.

(3) A factor that is subject to change

(4) (meteorology) A shifting wind, especially to distinguish from a trade wind.


adjective

(1) Likely to deviate or vary, as from the usual type; aberrant; inconstant; changeable.

(2) Capable of changing; alterable.


Supplement

A variable is a factor or a quantity whose value may vary in contrast to a constant whose value is fixed. A variable may be expressed in symbols whose value may change depending on the values of the other variables. For instance, in the expression: ax2, the variable here is (represented by) x (a is the coefficient).

Variables are used especially in experiments to determine if there is a probability of causal relationship between them. For example, an experiment is designed to see if a newly developed drug is effective in treating ill patients by giving some of them the drug while others the placebo. In this case, the variables are the treatments (i.e. drug or placebo) and their effects on the patients (i.e. recovery).


Word origin: from Latin variabilis "changeable," from variare "to change" Related forms: variability (noun)

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Results from our forum


Re: PCR

... When you are using 12 pairs of primers, they are targeting 24 different binding loci. Each forward and reverse pair spans a region that has a variable number of base pairs between individuals, but a given individual will have a definite base distance between each pair of primers (barring complications ...

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by jonmoulton
Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:16 pm
 
Forum: Genetics
Topic: PCR
Replies: 2
Views: 502

PCR

... primers produces 12 bands from a single persons DNA. And why is the pattern of bands produced by multiplex PCR with the same 12 primers highly variable between individuals? What are the most likely explanations for individual D having less than 12 bands? Yours, Julian

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by Julian92
Mon Jan 28, 2013 12:23 pm
 
Forum: Genetics
Topic: PCR
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Views: 502

Questions about phenotypic plasticity

... success, I should think an organism's phenotype would influence the course of the species' evolution quite a bit. Even when the phenotype is variable, there's still an underlying genotype that could be affected by natural selection. In the case of phenotypic plasticity, it is the ability ...

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by Luxorien
Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:08 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Questions about phenotypic plasticity
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Re: Codons are triplets, but what's a Singlet, Doublet, etc?

I finally have something for you! To make it as easy as possible for us to see all the variables and how they are formed I wrote a minimal code subroutine to save on disk (and in RAM) a list of 1 to 8 letter codons in Base4 or Base5. The lines of code to save to disk ...

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by GaryGaulin
Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:18 am
 
Forum: Bioinformatics
Topic: Codons are triplets, but what's a Singlet, Doublet, etc?
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Does an advanced algo of aggregation and ranking interesting

... original method of aggregation based on neural networks which can summarize with great objectivity the information contained in a large number of variables emanating from many different fields.  Its contribution lies in determining, from the database itself, a wei ghting scheme of variables specific ...

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by remimollicone
Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:36 am
 
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