multiway

Multiway is a term used to describe systems, devices, or analyses that involve more than two possibilities, directions, or dimensions. It is used across several disciplines and may appear in product names to indicate support for multiple pathways or outputs.

In electronics and electrical engineering, multiway switches enable controlling a single load from three or more locations; in conventional lighting, two-way (three-way in some regions) circuits can be extended by additional switches. In audio, multiway loudspeakers use three or more drivers to cover different frequency ranges for improved sound reproduction.

In data analysis and applied mathematics, "multiway" describes data organized in more than two modes, such as tensors. Multiway data analysis employs tensor decompositions, including CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) and Tucker decompositions, to extract structure across dimensions such as subjects, variables, and time.

In graph theory and computer science, the multiway cut problem asks for the smallest set of edges to remove to separate multiple specified terminals into distinct components. It generalizes the classical s-t cut and is known to be computationally hard, with practical algorithms for approximation and for special cases.

In telecommunications and routing, multiway routing refers to strategies that utilize multiple potential paths for data transmission, enhancing fault tolerance and load distribution. Across these domains, the common theme of multiway is the presence of more than two options or pathways, enabling greater flexibility and resilience.