Hamming distance

noun

Given two strings of equal length, the number of positions at which the corresponding symbols differ; it therefore indicates the minimum number of substitutions required to change one string into the other.

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Meanings

nounHamming distance (plural Hamming distances)

plural Hamming distances

  1. computingGiven two strings of equal length, the number of positions at which the corresponding symbols differ; it therefore indicates the minimum number of substitutions required to change one string into the other.

Origin

Named after American mathematician Richard Hamming (1915–1998).

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Translations

Polish odległość Hamminga
  • odległość HammingaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: Hamming distance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.