Odelbarhet

Odelbarhet is a term used in Swedish and Norwegian to describe the quality or state of being indivisible or inseparable. Etymologically, it combines a negating prefix with delbarhet (divisibility) and the noun-forming suffix -het, yielding a concept that denotes lack of divisibility or breaking into parts.

In mathematics, odelbarhet is used to refer to objects that cannot be meaningfully divided into smaller parts without losing essential structure. In number theory this aligns with the common notion of indivisibility: prime numbers are often described as indivisible by integers other than 1 and themselves. More broadly, the term can denote entities that resist subdivision while preserving core properties, such as certain algebraic or combinatorial objects regarded as atomic in a given theory.

Beyond mathematics, odelbarhet appears in philosophy, political science, and cultural studies as a metaphor for integrity or unity that should not be broken apart. For example, discussions of the “indivisibility of sovereignty” or the “indivisibility of a nation” treat certain political or communal entities as fundamentally unified and not subject to division without undermining their identity or function.

Related terms include delbarhet (divisibility) and, in English-language contexts, the closest equivalents are indivisibility or atomicity. The exact usage and emphasis of odelbarhet can vary by discipline and context, but it generally conveys a core sense of unity that resists subdivision.