Tilavälin

Tilavälin is a Finnish term used in academic and scientific Finnish to denote the spatial interval between two points. It is used in mathematics, physics and philosophical discussions concerning the geometry of space. The word is formed from tilaa, meaning space, and väli, meaning interval, with the genitive suffix -in in the compound tilavälin.

In mathematical language tilavälin refers to the spatial separation, typically modeled as the distance between position vectors in Euclidean or more general metric spaces. In two dimensions, the tilavälin between points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is sqrt((x2 − x1)^2 + (y2 − y1)^2); in n dimensions, the standard distance norm applies. It is a scalar quantity that measures how far apart two points lie in space, independent of any temporal component.

Tilavälin is distinct from aikaväli, the time interval, though both can be discussed in combined notions of spacetime. In Finnish educational texts, tilavälin is sometimes treated synonymously with etäisyys or spatial distance, but it can emphasize the interval aspect rather than a specific measurement.

See also: Etäisyys, Aikaväli, Spatiaalinen etäisyys, Väli.