Pseudooperators

Pseudooperators, or pseudo-operators, is a term used in several disciplines to describe constructs that resemble true operators but do not correspond to the system’s primitive operations.

In computing, pseudo-ops (pseudo-operations) are directives to an assembler that do not generate machine instructions themselves. They guide the assembly process, control program structure, layout data, manage symbols, or adjust settings. Examples include directives that switch between code and data sections, declare global or external symbols, reserve or align space, and define constants. The exact set and syntax of pseudo-ops vary by assembler, and their effects are defined by the assembler rather than by the target machine’s instruction set.

In mathematics, pseudo-differential operators extend the concept of differential operators. They are defined through a symbol that encodes how the operator acts in both position and frequency space, often allowing nonlocal behavior and variable coefficients. Pseudo-differential operators are central tools in partial differential equations and microlocal analysis, providing a framework to study regularity, propagation of singularities, and other fine-grained properties of solutions. They generalize familiar operators like differential operators and fractional derivatives and are analyzed using associated symbols and quantization rules.

Beyond these areas, the phrase can appear in other contexts where an operation resembles a formal operator but does not map directly to the core primitive operations of a language or system. The precise meaning of pseudo-operator depends on the domain and the conventions of the relevant field.

See also: assembler directives, pseudo-differential operators, microlocal analysis.