Motzkin number

noun

For a given number n, the number of different ways of drawing non-intersecting chords between n points on a circle (not necessarily touching every point by a chord). They have diverse applications in geometry, combinatorics, and number theory.

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Meanings

nounMotzkin number (plural Motzkin numbers)

plural Motzkin numbers

  1. mathematicsFor a given number n, the number of different ways of drawing non-intersecting chords between n points on a circle (not necessarily touching every point by a chord). They have diverse applications in geometry, combinatorics, and number theory.

Origin

Named after Theodore Motzkin.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: Motzkin number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.