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Unknown

Unknown refers to something that is not known or whose identity is not yet determined. It is used both as an adjective and a noun. In research and analysis, unknowns are problems to be resolved, as well as data points requiring estimation or inference.

Etymology: Unknown comes from un- (not) + known, rooted in Old English and earlier Germanic roots; the

In mathematics and science: In algebra, unknowns are variables such as x and y that stand in

In information and culture: In data handling, unknown values are marked as missing data or NA. In

Philosophy and culture: The unknown has long been a topic in epistemology and metaphysics, framing questions

compound
has
been
in
use
since
the
Middle
English
period.
for
numbers
to
be
found.
In
statistics
and
physics,
parameters
are
often
treated
as
unknowns
to
be
estimated
from
data.
The
term
also
appears
in
experimental
design
to
denote
measurements
that
have
not
yet
been
observed.
The
process
of
solving
an
equation
or
fitting
a
model
aims
to
determine
the
unknown.
investigative
contexts,
the
unknown
may
refer
to
an
unidentified
person
or
object.
The
phrase
unknown
unknowns
is
used
to
describe
aspects
that
are
not
anticipated
or
observed.
about
the
limits
of
knowledge
and
the
possibility
of
certainty.
It
also
appears
in
literature
and
media
as
a
motif
representing
mystery,
risk,
or
potential.