Meanings
plural phase spaces · alternative phase-space
- countableuncountabledynamical system theorymathematicsGiven a (dynamical) system, any topological space such that every point in the space's underlying set uniquely represents a state of the system and every possible state is represented by some point;
For mechanical systems, the phase space usually consists of all possible values of position and momentum variables.
3 more examples
The phase space of a single material point is a manifold M×V*, and the Newton state-space is identifical^([sic]) with M×V.
1991, Jan J. Slawianowski, Geometry of Phase Spaces, Wiley, page 4852006, Matthew Charles Cargo, Phase Space Approaches to Higher Order WKB Approximations, University of California, Berkeley, page 8, Their energies are those of the level sets p²/2+V(x)=E that enclose an area of 2π hbar (n+1/2) in the classical phase space. Despite embracing a configuration space point of view, these methods have produced a phase space result.
The distribution of particles in phase space is given either by the injector characteristics and injection process or in the case of electron beams by the equilibrium of quantum excitation due to synchrotron radiation and damping.
2007, Helmut Wiedemann, Particle Accelerator Physics, Springer, page 377 - Given a (dynamical) system, any topological space such that every point in the space's underlying set uniquely represents a state of the system and every possible state is represented by some point; (less formally) the underlying set of such a topological space.
- countableuncountabledynamical system theory; less formallymathematicsthe underlying set of such a topological space.
Origin
The concept was developed in the late 19th century by Ludwig Boltzmann, Henri Poincaré and Josiah Willard Gibbs.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan espai de fases, espai fàsic
- espai de fasestopological space of states of a system
- espai fàsictopological space of states of a system
Chinese Mandarin 相空間 /相空间
- 相空間 /相空间 (xiàngkōngjiān)topological space of states of a system
Czech fázový prostor
- fázový prostortopological space of states of a system
Danish faserum
- faserumtopological space of states of a system
Dutch faseruimte
- faseruimtetopological space of states of a system
Finnish faasiavaruus
- faasiavaruustopological space of states of a system
French espace des phases
- espace des phasestopological space of states of a system
German Phasenraum
- Phasenraumtopological space of states of a system
Indonesian ruang fase
- ruang fasetopological space of states of a system
Italian spazio delle fasi
- spazio delle fasitopological space of states of a system
Japanese 位相空間
- 位相空間 (isō kūkan)topological space of states of a system
Korean 위상공간
- 위상공간 (wisanggonggan)topological space of states of a system
Polish przestrzeń fazowa
- przestrzeń fazowatopological space of states of a system
Portuguese espaço de fases, espaço de fase
- espaço de fasestopological space of states of a system
- espaço de fasetopological space of states of a system
- espaço fásicotopological space of states of a system
Romanian spațiu de fază
- spațiu de fazătopological space of states of a system
Russian фа́зовое простра́нство
- фа́зовое простра́нство (fázovoje prostránstvo)topological space of states of a system
Spanish espacio fásico, espacio de fases
- espacio fásicotopological space of states of a system
- espacio de fasestopological space of states of a system
Swedish fasrum
- fasrumtopological space of states of a system
Ukrainian фа́зовий про́стір
- фа́зовий про́стір (fázovyj próstir)topological space of states of a system
Cite this entry
phase space. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phase%20space
“phase space.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phase%20space. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phase space,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phase%20space.
Source: phase space on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.