de Bruijn sequence

noun

A cyclic sequence (of order n on a size-k alphabet A) in which every possible length-n string on A occurs exactly once as a substring (i.e. a contiguous subsequence). Such a sequence is denoted by B(k, n).

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Meanings

nounde Bruijn sequence (plural de Bruijn sequences)

plural de Bruijn sequences

  1. mathematicsA cyclic sequence (of order n on a size-k alphabet A) in which every possible length-n string on A occurs exactly once as a substring (i.e. a contiguous subsequence). Such a sequence is denoted by B(k, n).

Origin

Named after the Dutch mathematician Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn.

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“de Bruijn sequence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20Bruijn%20sequence. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: de Bruijn sequence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.