Multichotomous

Multichotomous refers to a classification or division that has more than two categories. This is in contrast to dichotomous, which specifically divides into two. In fields such as biology, taxonomy, and computer science, data or entities are often organized multichotomously when a simple binary distinction is insufficient. For example, a classification system for animal species might be multichotomous if it uses multiple distinct phyla, classes, orders, families, and genera to categorize organisms.

In computer science, a multichotomous key is a decision tree where each internal node has more than two branches. This can be more efficient than a dichotomous key for certain types of data, allowing for faster navigation and searching. For instance, when searching for a specific item in a database, a multichotomous structure might allow you to eliminate a larger portion of the data with each step of the search. The term can also be applied to questions or responses that offer more than two possible answers, moving beyond simple yes/no or true/false options to a more nuanced set of choices.