Polychotomous key refers to the number of alternatives which a decision point may have in a non-temporal hierarchy of independent variables. The number of alternatives are equivalent to the root or
nth root
In mathematics, a radicand, also known as an nth root, of a number ''x'' is a number ''r'' which, when raised to the power ''n'', yields ''x'':
:r^n = x,
where ''n'' is a positive integer, sometimes called the ''degree'' of the root. A root ...
of a mathematical or logical variable. Decision points or independent variables with two states have a binary root that is referred to as a
dichotomous
A dichotomy is a partition of a whole (or a set) into two parts (subsets). In other words, this couple of parts must be
* jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and
* mutually exclusive: nothing can belong simult ...
key whereas, the term polychotomous key refers to roots which are greater than one or unitary and usually greater than two or binary. Polychotomous keys are used in
troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process op ...
to build troubleshooting charts and in classification/identification schemes with characteristics that have more than one attribute and the order of characteristics is not inherently based on the progression of time.
See also
*
Number prefix
Numeral or number prefixes are prefixes derived from numerals or occasionally other numbers. In English and many other languages, they are used to coin numerous series of words. For example:
* unicycle, bicycle, tricycle (1-cycle, 2-cycle, 3-cy ...
*
Polychotomy
A polychotomy (päl′i kät′ə mē; plural ''polychotomies'') is a division or separation into many parts or classes. Polychotomy is a generalization of dichotomy, which is a polychotomy of exactly two parts. In evolutionary biology, the term p ...
External links
Examples of usage
Another Approach to Polychotomous Classification
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111030150413/http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/497.abstract The Development of a Hierarchical Polychotomous ADL-IADL Scale for Noninstitutionalized Elders]
Probabilistic Forecasting - A PrimerStructured polychotomous machine diagnosis of multiple cancer types using gene expression
{{logic-stub
Concepts in logic
Decision theory
Trees (data structures)