Ekwivalent

Ekwivalent is a term used in several languages to denote a relation of equality in value, function, or meaning between two items. It derives from the English word equivalent, itself from Latin aequivalens, and in many language contexts the spelling is adapted as ekwivalent or ekvivalen.

In mathematics, the concept of equivalence describes a relation that groups elements into equivalence classes: two elements are equivalent if they satisfy a specified condition. A common example is modular congruence, where a ≡ b (mod n) identifies numbers that differ by a multiple of n.

In chemistry, the idea of equivalent weight relates mass to chemical reactivity: the amount of substance that reacts with or replaces a defined quantity of another substance. This underpins titration, acid–base calculations, and redox reactions, with the notion of equivalents guiding quantitative analysis.

In linguistics and translation studies, translation equivalence or semantic equivalence assesses whether expressions in different languages convey the same meaning, even if wording varies. This concept is central to evaluating accuracy and naturalness in translation.

In computer science and logic, program or logical equivalence concerns whether two programs or expressions yield the same observable results under all allowed conditions. In software testing, equivalence partitioning uses the idea to group inputs that are expected to behave similarly.

The precise meaning of ekwivalent varies by discipline and context, but it consistently refers to a relation of sameness in value, function, or meaning. See also equivalence, equivalent, and related domain concepts.