Padé approximant

noun

The "best" approximation of a function by a rational function of given order. Under this technique, the approximant's power series agrees with the power series of the function it is approximating.

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Meanings

nounPadé approximant (plural Padé approximants)

plural Padé approximants

  1. mathematicsThe "best" approximation of a function by a rational function of given order. Under this technique, the approximant's power series agrees with the power series of the function it is approximating.

Origin

The technique was developed around 1890 by Henri Padé.

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Cite this entry
APA

Padé approximant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pad%C3%A9%20approximant

MLA

“Padé approximant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pad%C3%A9%20approximant. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Padé approximant,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pad%C3%A9%20approximant.

Source: Padé approximant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.