antichain

A1N1T1I1C3H4A1I1N1

noun

A subset, A, of a partially ordered set, (P, ≤), such that no two elements of A are comparable with respect to ≤.

Scrabble 14

Meanings

nounantichain (plural antichains)

plural antichains

  1. error lua execgraph theoryA subset, A, of a partially ordered set, (P, ≤), such that no two elements of A are comparable with respect to ≤.

    First of all, Zorn's Lemma implies that every uncountable antichain in T is contained in a maximal uncountable antichain. So it suffices to make sure that T has no maximal uncountable antichains.

    1997, Winfried Just, Martin Weese, Discovering Modern Set Theory II: Set-Theoretic Tools for Every Mathematician, American Mathematical Society, page 140
    1 more example

    2013, Vijay K. Garg, Maximal Antichain Lattice Algorithms for Distributed Computations, Proceedings, Davide Frey, Michel Raynal, Saswati Sarkar, Rudrapatna K. Shyamasundar, Prasun Sinha (editors), Distributed Computing and Networking: 14th International Conference, ICDCN, Springer, LNCS 7730, page 245, We first define three different but isomorphic lattices: the lattice of maximal antichain ideals, the lattice of maximal antichains and the lattice of strict ideals.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́)
  5. Ancient Greekἀντι- (anti-)
  6. Englishanti-
  7. Proto-Italic*katesnā
  8. Latincatēna
  9. Old Frenchchaeine
  10. Middle Englishcheyne
  11. Englishchain
  12. Englishantichain

From anti- + chain.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish antiketju
  • antiketjusubset of a partially ordered set
Italian anticatena
  • anticatenasubset of a partially ordered set
Spanish anticadena
  • anticadenasubset of a partially ordered set
Cite this entry
APA

antichain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antichain

MLA

“antichain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antichain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antichain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antichain.

Source: antichain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.