to function

Definition of to function in English English dictionary: The physiological activity of an organ or body part; to have a function; A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain; The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound; A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance; A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result; {n} an office, employment, charge, power; An object used for performing actions and returning values Functions have a parameter list and an optional return value declaration, which together define the function's signature There are two kinds of functions: methods and generic functions A method has a body of code that is executed to compute the method's values when the method is called A generic function consists of a set of methods, and computes its values by selecting and calling an appropriate method based on the types of the arguments; All the processes within an ecosystem through which the elements interact, such as succession, the food chain, fire, weather, and the hydrologic cycle; tells you something about the gene Ultimately, function will tell you the type of protein encoded, and the name of the genetic locus if known Currently, function tells you the random gene name assigned by Kohara to this particular EST The expression level is shown in parentheses (See expression level below) Low numbers mean the gene was barely expressed and could fluctuate due to noise; one particularly impressive and elaborate; A quantity so connected with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be a consequent alteration in the former; A religious ceremony, esp; {f} work; act; operate; perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function; "His wife officiated as his private secretary"; The function of something or someone is the useful thing that they do or are intended to do. The main function of the merchant banks is to raise capital for industry. = purpose, role; A rule for associating a member or a sequence of members of one set (the domain) with a member of another set (the range) See composition; computable function; definability of a function; minimization; n-adic function; partial function; primitive recursion; propositional function; recursive function; recursive function theory; representation of a function; total function; truth function; To execute or perform a function; to transact one's regular or appointed business; If someone or something functions as a particular thing, they do the work or fulfil the purpose of that thing. On weekdays, one third of the room functions as workspace; What something does or is used for; In the context of written language, a function is an abstract meaning which, by itself, has no intrinsic form In Unicode, some characters are defined solely on the basis of function; however, as characters, such functions usually refer to one or more nominal forms, the precise form of which can be determined only by context Form and function are independent dimensions along which the characters of Unicode are defined; a mathematical relation such that each element of one set is associated with at least one element of another set; a mathematical relation such that each element of one set is associated with at least one element of another set perform as expected when applied; "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore; A specialized group of statements often used to encapsulate general or program-specific tasks awk has a number of built-in functions, and also allows you to define your own See section Built-in Functions Also, see section User-defined Functions; A mathematical formula establishing an unambiguous relationship between two variables For every value entered (input), the process of performing the mathematics will produce a different value (output) as a result To say, for example, that "population density is a function of soil fertility" is to say that every measure of soil fertility can be entered into a formula (or a hypothetical formula) to produce a value of population density As soil fertility changes, population density will change as well Many functions are plotted as graphs, with the input as the X-axis and the output as the Y-axis; they also become the basis for formulas used in computer models, such as models of global climate processes (Source: Mintzer, 1992); A function is a series of operations that a computer performs, for example when a single key or a combination of keys is pressed; A professional or official position; The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an energy of some determinate kind; An official or social occasion; A specialized group of statements used to encapsulate general or program-specific tasks awk has a number of built-in functions, and also allows you to define your own See section Built-in Functions, and section User-defined Functions; a relation such that one thing is dependent on another; "height is a function of age"; "price is a function of supply and demand"; A body of text in your program that you can call upon to perfrom a useful task or function Functions can also call upon other functions; {i} duty, role; use, purpose; festive event, social occasion; formal gathering, formal meeting; mathematical function, quantity dependent on other quantities for its value (Mathematics); Thus, the circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter; In the C/C++ programming languages, a function defines how to perform a particular operation A function can, for instance, add two numbers or rotate an object, or just about any operation Functions are called to execute them; A PL/SQL subprogram that executes an operation and returns a value at the completion of the operation A function can be either built-in or user-named Contrast with procedure; one somewhat formal; The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; performance; to carry on a function; to be in action; A public or social ceremony or gathering; a festivity or entertainment, esp; Each quantity is said to be a function of the other; A natural process that operates within or between areas and involves the movement and exchange of nutrients, energy, or genetic material Examples include hydrological processes, food webs, animal population dynamics, and surface drainage; knowledge: creation, the extension of God's Love or spirit; God creates His Son, Christ, Who in turn creates as does His Father; our function of creating, ongoing throughout eternity, is restored to our awareness when the Atonement is completed perception: forgiveness, healing, salvation, the acceptance of the Atonement for ourselves; our " special function" is to forgive our special relationships; the function of the Holy Spirit is to carry out the plan of the Atonement, reminding each Son of God of his special function; A function f of a variable x is a rule that assigns to each number x in the function's domain a single number f(x) The word "single" in this definition is very important (cf Functions as Processes or Rules Discussion); The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc; If you say that one thing is a function of another, you mean that its amount or nature depends on the other thing. Investment is a function of the interest rate; n 1 an object representing code, which can be called with zero or more arguments, and which produces zero or more values 2 an object of type function; x, and Sin; a formal or official social gathering or ceremony; "it was a black-tie function"; the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group; "the function of a teacher"; "the government must do its part"; "play its role"; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the body; A series of statements that perform some operation and return a single value (through the function or result name) to the calling program unit A function is invoked by a function reference in a main program unit or a subprogram unit In Fortran 95/90, a function can be used to define a new operator or extend the meaning of an intrinsic operator symbol The function is invoked by the appearance of the new or extended operator in the expression (along with the appropriate operands) For example, the symbol * can be defined for logical operands, extending its intrinsic definition for numeric operands See also function subprogram, statement function, and subroutine; what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"; A set of activities and professional specialties that form part of process, and are grouped generally into organizational units or departments A functional unit could involve a total process, but not always so DoD organizations are most commonly divided are into func-tional units, such as operations, logistics, personnel, research and development, contracts admin-istration, and finance and accounting Functional organizations are used to promote standard-ization and to reduce duplication of essential activities throughout an organization The functions adopt one system or one policy for everyone rather than have each department invent its own; The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession; A function is a large formal dinner or party. In mathematics, an expression, rule, or law that defines a relationship between one variable (the independent variable) and another (the dependent variable), which changes along with it. Most functions are numerical; that is, a numerical input value is associated with a single numerical output value. The formula A = r^2, for example, assigns to each positive real number r the area A of a circle with a radius of that length. The symbols f(x) and g(x) are typically used for functions of the independent variable x. A multivariable function such as w = f(x, y) is a rule for deriving a single numerical value from more than one input value. A periodic function repeats values over fixed intervals. If f(x + k) = f(x) for any value of x, f is a periodic function with a period of length k (a constant). The trigonometric functions are periodic. See also density function; exponential function; hyperbolic function; inverse function; transcendental function. density function exponential function hyperbolic function inverse function production function propositional function transcendental function trigonometric function wave function; a set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program; If a machine or system is functioning, it is working or operating. The authorities say the prison is now functioning normally; x, are all functions of x; HLU: Any member of the HLU API NCL: An identifier with a list of parameters separated by commas and enclosed in parentheses Functions return values when called A function is defined by NCL source unlike the NCL intrinsic function; A mathematical relationship between two values called the input and the output, such that for each input there is precisely one output For example, f defined on the set of real numbers as f(x) = x2 is a function with input any real number x and with output the square of x; perform as expected when applied; "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"; A basic programming command A function is to AutoLISP as a command is to DOS or to AutoCAD Most functions take arguments, which have to be in a certain order and of a certain type In AutoLISP, the function always comes first in the list (it is the first element inside the opening parenthesis) and it tells the AutoLISP interpreter what to do with all the other elements in the program expression Sample AutoLISP functions would include: math functions such as + and *, trig functions such as sin and atan, string functions such as strcat and substr, as well as the ubiquitous functions setq and defun For example, in the expression (* 45 0 3), the "*" is the function which multiplies the numbers following it In the expression (setq n1 500), the "setq" is the function which assigns the number 500 to the variable n1; uci A computer-supported capability provided to users as an aid for task performance Examples of functions are position designation or direction designation [MIL-HDBK-1908B]; A routine that returns a result; A procedure, beginning with Function functionname() and ending with End Function, that returns a value to the calling procedure when it's complete; A function (in the mathematical sense) is a relation such that for each thing in its domain (the universe of things it can be applied to), there is a single thing in its range (the universe of results it can have) such that the relation holds between them In CycL, functions are denoted by certain constants These constants are referred to as "function-denoting constants, "CycL functions," or sometimes just "functions " CycL functions can be applied to arguments to form non-atomic terms, which can serve as arguments to a predicate just as other terms can There are more details about CycL functions in the Functions section of "The Syntax of Cycl"; Categories of spending established for accounting purposes to keep track of specific expenditures Each account is placed in the single function (such as transportation) that best represents its major purpose, regardless of the agency administering the program; a vaguely specified social event; "the party was quite an affair"; "an occasion arranged to honor the president"; "a seemingly endless round of social functions"; If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such expressions as x2, 3x, Log