sixtuple

Sixtuple is a term used in mathematics and computer science to denote an ordered collection of six elements. It is synonymous with six-tuple and sextuple, and in some sources can appear as an alternative spelling of the same concept. In formal terms, a sixtuple is an element of the cartesian product A1 × A2 × A3 × A4 × A5 × A6, where each Ai is a set (or type). The components are typically written as (a1, a2, a3, a4, a5, a6).

A sixtuple has a defined order: changing the order yields a different sixtuple, and repeated coordinates are allowed unless specified otherwise. This distinguishes it from a six-element set, which has no inherent order and does not treat duplicates as distinct.

Relation to related concepts: a sixtuple is a specific instance of an n-tuple, used to represent data with fixed arity. The term sextuple is more common in some mathematical contexts, while six-tuple or six-tuple may appear in computing or programming literature. In practice, a 6-tuple can be used to represent a record with six fields or to return six values from a function.

Examples: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) is a sixtuple of integers. If the first component represents a year, the second a month, and so on, different orderings correspond to different data interpretations.

See also: Tuple; N-tuple; Quintuple; Sextuple.