composite

Composite refers to a material or object formed by combining two or more constituent elements with differing properties. The constituents retain their identities, and the resulting composite exhibits characteristics not present in the individual components, such as enhanced strength, stiffness, or toughness.

In materials science and engineering, composites usually consist of a matrix (continuous phase) and reinforcement (dispersed phase). Common examples include fiberglass (glass fibers in a polymer matrix), carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, and concrete (cement matrix with aggregate). Properties depend on the constituents and their arrangement, enabling tailored strength-to-weight ratios and resistance to fatigue or heat. Manufacturing methods include lay-up, molding, and resin transfer molding.

In mathematics, a composite number is a positive integer greater than 1 that is not prime; it has more than two distinct positive divisors. Examples: 4, 6, 9. Prime numbers have exactly two divisors, 1 and itself. Prime factorization, divisors, and related functions (such as the number of divisors) are central topics in number theory.

In software engineering, the composite pattern allows treating individual objects and groups of objects uniformly by composing objects into tree structures that implement a common interface.