discontinuous
Meaning: Having gaps, breaks, or interruptions rather than forming a smooth, unbroken sequence. In mathematics, describes a function with one or more points where it is not continuous.
Discontinuous is used across technical and humanistic disciplines to describe anything that proceeds in fits and starts rather than flowing smoothly. In geology, a discontinuous rock layer has gaps or faults. In historiography, discontinuous change refers to abrupt shifts rather than gradual evolution — a concept central to the work of Michel Foucault. In everyday academic writing, it serves as a more precise alternative to 'broken' or 'interrupted.'
Examples
- The fossil record is inherently discontinuous, with significant gaps that make evolutionary reconstruction challenging. 化石记录本质上是不连续的,存在着使进化重建充满挑战的重大间隙。El registro fósil es intrínsecamente discontinuo, con lagunas significativas que dificultan la reconstrucción evolutiva.化石記録は本質的に不連続であり、進化の再構成を困難にする重大な空白が存在する。화석 기록은 본질적으로 불연속적이며, 진화의 재구성을 어렵게 하는 상당한 공백이 존재한다.
- Foucault argued that intellectual history is discontinuous, marked by sudden ruptures rather than steady progress. 福柯认为思想史是不连续的,其特征是突然的断裂而非稳步的进展。Foucault sostenía que la historia intelectual es discontinua, marcada por rupturas repentinas más que por un progreso constante.フーコーは知的歴史は不連続であり、着実な進歩ではなく突然の断絶によって特徴づけられると論じた。푸코는 지적 역사는 불연속적이며, 꾸준한 진보가 아니라 갑작스러운 단절로 특징지어진다고 주장했다.
- The function is discontinuous at x = 0, where it jumps abruptly from negative to positive values. 该函数在x=0处是不连续的,在该点从负值突然跳变为正值。La función es discontinua en x = 0, donde salta abruptamente de valores negativos a positivos.この関数はx=0で不連続であり、その点で負の値から正の値へ急激に跳躍する。이 함수는 x=0에서 불연속이며, 그 점에서 음의 값에서 양의 값으로 급격히 점프한다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, scientific
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From medieval Latin discontinuus, from dis- (apart, away) + continuus (unbroken, connected). Entered English in the 17th century. The mathematical sense was formalised in the 19th century by Cauchy and Weierstrass.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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