Rank: Difference between revisions

From APL Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Miraheze>Marshall
(Created page with "''This page is about array rank, a number associated with every array. For numbers associated with a function specifying its argument rank, see function rank. For the oper...")
 
Miraheze>Adám Brudzewsky
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
''This page is about array rank, a number associated with every array. For numbers associated with a function specifying its argument rank, see [[function rank]]. For the operator that applies a function at a given rank, see [[Rank operator]].''
:''This page is about array rank, a number associated with every array. For numbers associated with a function specifying its argument rank, see [[function rank]]. For the operator that applies a function at a given rank, see [[Rank operator]].''


The rank of an array is the number of dimensions in its structure, or, in APL terms, the length of its [[shape]]. The traditional expression for the rank of an array <code>A</code> is <code>⍴⍴A</code>. Because this expression results in a one-element [[vector]] rather than a [[scalar]], it is idiomatic in languages with a [[Tally]] function to write <code>≢⍴A</code> instead.
The rank of an array is the number of dimensions in its structure, or, in APL terms, the length of its [[shape]]. The traditional expression for the rank of an array <code>A</code> is <code>⍴⍴A</code>. Because this expression results in a one-element [[vector]] rather than a [[scalar]], it is idiomatic in languages with a [[Tally]] function to write <code>≢⍴A</code> instead.

Revision as of 16:12, 24 October 2019

This page is about array rank, a number associated with every array. For numbers associated with a function specifying its argument rank, see function rank. For the operator that applies a function at a given rank, see Rank operator.

The rank of an array is the number of dimensions in its structure, or, in APL terms, the length of its shape. The traditional expression for the rank of an array A is ⍴⍴A. Because this expression results in a one-element vector rather than a scalar, it is idiomatic in languages with a Tally function to write ≢⍴A instead.

Arrays are given names based on their rank:

Rank Name
0 scalar
1 vector
2 matrix

Many APLs have a maximum rank. A function that would produce an array with rank greater than this maximum typically gives a LIMIT ERROR.

External Links

Wikipedia