nontrivial

[non-triv-ee-uh l] /nɒnˈtrɪv i əl/
adjective
1.
not trivial.
2.
Mathematics. noting a solution of a linear equation in which the value of at least one variable of the equation is not equal to zero.
Origin
1910-15; non- + trivial
Examples from the web for nontrivial
  • Page noticed that while it was trivial to follow links from one page to another, it was nontrivial to discover links back.
  • It doesn't cover the nontrivial number of students who complete college seven or more years after they start.
  • Effective writing of that kind requires nontrivial skills.
  • The new view is that reason is embodied in a nontrivial way.
nontrivial in Technology


Requiring real thought or significant computing power. Often used as an understated way of saying that a problem is quite difficult or impractical, or even entirely unsolvable ("Proving P=NP is nontrivial"). The preferred emphatic form is "decidedly nontrivial".
See uninteresting, interesting.
[Jargon File]
(1995-02-21)