itératif

Itératif is a term used to describe processes or approaches that are performed repeatedly with refinement through successive approximations. In French and other languages, it can function as an adjective or noun to denote iteration or iterative quality, and it appears in several technical contexts.

In linguistics, the iterative aspect marks repetition or habitual occurrence of an action, often conveyed by affixes or reduplication in some languages. It contrasts with other aspectual categories depending on the language and usage.

In mathematics and numerical analysis, iterative methods generate sequences that converge toward a solution, such as fixed-point iteration, Newton's method, Gauss-Seidel, or Jacobi methods. They are favored for large-scale problems or when direct methods are impractical. Key concerns include convergence criteria, stopping conditions, and the rate of convergence.

In computing and software development, iterative approaches emphasize building by cycles of design, implementation, testing, and evaluation, as opposed to a single upfront specification. In algorithms, iterative implementations use loops to perform computations step by step, sometimes offering clearer structure and easier debugging than purely recursive approaches.

Applications span solving nonlinear equations and optimization problems, data analysis, simulations, and language processing. The concept of iteration and refinement remains central across disciplines that favor repeatable procedures and progressive improvement.