poset

P3O1S1E1T1
/ˈpəʊsɛt/

noun

A partially ordered set.

UncommonScrabble 7

Meanings

nounposet (plural posets)

plural posets

  1. mathematicsA partially ordered set.

    The combinatorial interest in posets is largely due to two unoriented graphs associated with a given poset: the comparability graph (which we shall not consider here) and the covering graph.

    1999, Manfred Stern, Semimodular Lattices: Theory and Applications, Cambridge University Press, page 189
    2 more examples

    1973, Barbara L. Osofsky, Homological Dimensions of Modules, American Mathematical Society, →ISBN, page 76, 42. Definition. A poset (partially ordered set) (X, ≤) (usually written just X) is a set X together with a transitive, antisymmetric relation ≤ on X. 43. Definition. A linearly ordered set or chain is a poset (X, ≤), such that ∀a, b ∈ X, either a ≤ b or b ≤ a or a = b.

    1998, Yuri A. Drozd, Representations of bisected posets and reflection functors, Idun Reiten, Sverre O. Smalø, Øyvind Solberg (editors), Algebras and Modules II, American Mathematical Society (for Canadian Mathematical Society), page 153, We construct a complete set of reflection functors for the representations of posets and prove that they really have the usual properties. In particular, when the poset is of finite representation type, all of its indecomposable representations can be obtained from some "trivial" ones via relations. To define such reflection functors, a wider class of matrix problem is introduced, called "representations of bisected posets".

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

Abbreviation of partially ordered set. Coined by American mathematician Garrett Birkhoff in his Lattice Theory.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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