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Parallel - Everywhere equidistant.
Percent - Hundredths. This definition allows converting among percents, fractions and decimals without moving the decimal point since all three forms of a given number have the same name. See the explanation on Percent.
Perfect square - The result of multiplying a whole number (integer) times itself. A number with a whole-number square root. A trinomial whose first and third terms are perfect squares and whose second term is twice the product of the square roots of the first and third terms. See the explanations on Square Root and Factoring Polynomials.
Perimeter - The distance around a polygon. The sum of the lengths of the segments forming the sides of a polygon. See circumference.
Perpendicular - Forming a right angle. The angle may be formed by the intersection of lines, rays, line segments, planes or plane surfaces. The vertex of the angle is located at the intersection of the two figures.
Pi - The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The limit of the summation series:
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 --- - --- + --- - --- + --- - ---- + ---- - ... 1 3 5 7 9 11 13The decimal value of this irrational number is approximately
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620....Plane - A two-dimensional, infinite, contiguous surface, endless and flat.
Plurality - A set of quantities totaling more than half of the entire amount although none of the parts is more than half. A collective majority. See minority.
Point - The smallest unit of space. A zero-dimensional figure (no size in any direction). A figure with zero length in every dimension. A location in space defined by name, rule or coordinates.
Polygon - A closed, plane figure consisting entirely of at least three line segments, each intersecting with exactly one other line segment in the figure at each endpoint. See perimeter.
Polynomial - An expression with a number of terms (at least one). Typically a variable expression with terms of different powers.
Positive number - A number with a value greater than zero. A number preceded by a positive sign. A nonzero number not preceded by a sign (different from the magnitude of a number - see absolute value). The positive sign is not needed with the first number in an expression but may be included for emphasis only. There is a difference in definition between a positive sign and an addition operator but in applications they are interchangable as one can be transformed into the other. See Negative number.
Postulate - A statement not proved but assumed to be true.
Power - The value of an exponent. The number of times a factor is to be used in a multiplication. (Not the number of multiplications, which is one less.)
Pre-image - The original set or figure in a mapping or transformation.
Prime factors - The prime numbers which are factors of a given whole number (integer). The bottom level (prime factorization) of a factor tree.
Prime number - A whole number integer which is greater than one but has no factors. There is no known pattern for finding prime numbers but the Sieve of Eratosthenes can be used to quickly eliminate composite numbers (which have factors) from the set of whole numbers, thus leaving the primes.
Principal - The basis or initial balance of a savings deposit or loan.
Product - The result of a multiplication problem.
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Last updated 6/2/97 - 4/25/2000.