Breytile

Breytile is the Icelandic term for a variable, a quantity that can take on different values in mathematical, statistical, or computational contexts. As a concept, a breytile acts as a placeholder for values that may change across inputs, observations, or over time. In a simple algebraic equation like f(x) = x + 2, x is a breytile; its value is not fixed until specified by a condition or data. Similarly in statistics, a breytile can denote a quantity that varies across observations; when the variation is random, the breytile may be described more precisely as a tilviljunargildi, or random variable.

In programming literature in Icelandic, breytile is commonly used to translate the idea of a variable in code, representing a storage location whose content can be modified during execution. In many mathematical texts, x, y, and z are treated as breytile to explore functions, equations, and systems.

Etymology: the term arises from the Icelandic verb breyta, meaning to change, and the noun form breytile, reflecting the capability to vary. Related terms include breytileiki (variability) and breytilegur (changeable).