an electrical waveform that rises or falls instantly from one level to another
step function in American English
noun
Math
a function that is constant on each of a finite set of subintervals of its domain, the union of the subintervals being the domain
Word origin
[1925–30]This word is first recorded in the period 1925–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: buildup, hot spot, payload, reflex camera, runout
Examples of 'step function' in a sentence
step function
The model using a step function with 15 heterogeneous variances presented the best fit.
Lenira El Faro, Lucia Galvão de Albuquerque 2003, 'Utilização de modelos de regressão aleatória para produção de leite no dia do controle,com diferentes estruturas de variâncias residuais Random regression test-day modelsfor milk yield records, with different structure of residual variances', Revista Brasileira de Zootecniahttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-35982003000500010. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Lastly, the step-function-based p-value model can be used for theoretical power analysis.
Fengqing Zhang, Jiangtao Gou 2016, 'A P-value model for theoretical power analysis and its applications in multiple testingprocedures', BMC Medical Research Methodologyhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-016-0233-0. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
We performed minimal preprocessing and worked directly with block-average time series and step-function estimates.
Anca R Radulescu, Lilianne R Mujica-Parodi 2013, 'Human gender differences in the perception of conspecific alarm chemosensory cues.',PLoS ONEhttp://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3722227?pdf=render. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The set point change of flow and disturbance were made based on step function.
Yulius Deddy Hermawan 2017, 'Design of Flow Control System with A Kickback Flow as A Manipulated Variable', Eksergihttp://jurnal.upnyk.ac.id/index.php/eksergi/article/view/2089/pdf_24. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
This cost structure causes the value of the objective function to behave like a step function.
Mahmoud Moustafa El-Sherbiny 2012, 'Alternate mutation based artificial immune algorithm for step fixed charge transportationproblem', Egyptian Informatics Journalhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110866512000230. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Furthermore, step-function mutations greatly enhanced the cellular operational light sensitivity due to a slowed-down photocycle.
Jonas Wietek, Silvia Rodriguez-Rozada, Janine Tutas, Federico Tenedini, ChristianeGrimm, Thomas G. Oertner, Peter Soba, Peter Hegemann, J. Simon Wiegert 2017, 'Anion-conducting channelrhodopsins with tuned spectra and modified kinetics engineeredfor optogenetic manipulation of behavior', Scientific Reportshttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1038/s41598-017-14330-y. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
In the modification, the step function as the fault line generator was replaced with a circular one.
Korneliusz K. Warszawski, Sławomir S. Nikiel, Marcin Mrugalski 2019, 'Procedural Method for Fast Table Mountains Modelling in Virtual Environments', Applied Scienceshttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/11/2352. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
We then use a step function to approximate each of the p-value's distributions by matching the mean and variance.
Fengqing Zhang, Jiangtao Gou 2016, 'A P-value model for theoretical power analysis and its applications in multiple testingprocedures', BMC Medical Research Methodologyhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-016-0233-0. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)