冪
power, exponent
Readings
On'yomi
- ベキ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
冪 centers on the mathematical concept of repeated multiplication: a power or exponent. The idea is one number raised to the strength of another.
Most common words using 冪
- 乗冪じょうべき
power
- 二の冪にのべき
power of two
- 二乗冪にじょうべき
square (of a number); second power
- 冪べき
exponent; power
- 冪乗演算子べきじょうえんざんし
exponential operator (**)
- 冪冪べきべき
billowing (clouds, dust)
- 冪単べきたん
unipotent
- 冪数べきすう
exponent; power
- 冪根べきこん
nth root; radical
- 冪等べきとう
idempotent
- 冪等性べきとうせい
idempotence
- 冪零べきれい
nilpotent
- 冪零元べきれいげん
nilpotent element
- 昇冪しょうべき
ascending powers
- 降冪こうべき
descending powers
Study
Etymology
冪 combines 冖 (cover) with 幕 (curtain), originally meaning a cloth cover. Its use for mathematical exponent is a later repurposing, likely from the idea of covering or multiplying layers.
Meaning mnemonic
Imagine a curtain (幕) being pulled over (冖) a number, hiding it under layers of multiplication. Each layer is a power, so 冪 means exponent.
Reading mnemonic
For ベキ, picture a baker (ベーカー) covering dough with a curtain to let it rise exponentially: baker -> ベキ, and the dough multiplies in power.