cardinality

[kahr-dn-al-i-tee] /ˌkɑr dnˈæl ɪ ti/
noun, plural cardinalities. Mathematics
1.
(of a set) the cardinal number indicating the number of elements in the set.
Origin
1930-35; cardinal + -ity
Examples from the web for cardinality
  • The cardinality of a finite set is simply the number of members in it.
  • Since cardinality is such a common concept in mathematics, a variety of names are in use.
British Dictionary definitions for cardinality

cardinality

/ˌkɑːdɪˈnælɪtɪ/
noun
1.
(maths) the property of possessing a cardinal number
2.
(maths, logic) (of a class) the cardinal number associated with the given class. Two classes have the same cardinality if they can be put in one-to-one correspondence
Word Origin and History for cardinality
n.

1520s, "condition of being a cardinal," from cardinal (n.) + -ity. Mathematical sense is from 1935 (see cardinal (adj.)).

cardinality in Technology

mathematics
The number of elements in a set. If two sets have the same number of elements (i.e. there is a bijection between them) then they have the same cardinality. A cardinality is thus an isomorphism class in the category of sets.
aleph 0 is defined as the cardinality of the first infinite ordinal, omega (the number of natural numbers).
(1995-03-29)