Dirac delta

noun

A function-like symbol denoted as δ, with the property ∫f(t)δ(x-t)dt=f(x), informally understood as a function with an infinite value at 0 and zero elsewhere, and formally as a distribution or a measure.

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Meanings

nounDirac delta (plural Dirac deltas)

plural Dirac deltas

  1. mathematicsA function-like symbol denoted as δ, with the property ∫f(t)δ(x-t)dt=f(x), informally understood as a function with an infinite value at 0 and zero elsewhere, and formally as a distribution or a measure.

Origin

Named after English theoretical physicist Paul Dirac (1902–1984); the notation was chosen because the symbol behaves analogously to the Kronecker delta.

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Cite this entry
APA

Dirac delta. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dirac%20delta

MLA

“Dirac delta.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dirac%20delta. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dirac delta,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dirac%20delta.

Source: Dirac delta on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.