The Collaborative International Dictionary
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"characterized by a single part," 1590s, from Latin simplex "single, simple, plain, unmixed, uncompounded," literally "onefold," from PIE root *sem- "one, together" (cognates: Latin semper "always," literally "once for all;" Sanskrit sam "together;" see same) + *plac- "-fold," from PIE *plek- "to plait" (see ply (v.1.)). The noun is attested from 1892, "simple uncompounded word."
Wiktionary
a. 1 single, simple; not complex. 2 (context telecommunications English) unidirectional n. 1 (context geometry algebraic topology English) An analogue in any dimension of the triangle or tetrahedron: the convex hull of ''n+1'' points in ''n''-dimensional space. 2 (context linguistics English) A simple word, one without affixes.
WordNet
adj. allowing communication in only one direction at a time, or in telegraphy allowing only one message over a line at a time; "simplex system"
having only one part or element; "a simplex word has no affixes and is not part of a compound--like `boy' compared with `boyish' or `house' compared with `houseboat'"
Wikipedia
In geometry, a simplex (plural: simplexes or simplices) is a generalization of the notion of a triangle or tetrahedron to arbitrary dimensions. Specifically, a k-simplex is a k-dimensional polytope which is the convex hull of its k + 1 vertices. More formally, suppose the k + 1 points u, …, u ∈ R are affinely independent, which means u − u, …, u − u are linearly independent. Then, the simplex determined by them is the set of points
$$C = \left\{\theta_0 u_0 + \dots +\theta_k u_k ~\bigg|~ \theta_i \ge 0, 0 \le i \le k, \sum_{i=0}^{k} \theta_i=1 \right\}$$
.
For example, a 2-simplex is a triangle, a 3-simplex is a tetrahedron, and a 4-simplex is a 5-cell. A single point may be considered a 0-simplex, and a line segment may be considered a 1-simplex. A simplex may be defined as the smallest convex set containing the given vertices.
A regular simplex is a simplex that is also a regular polytope. A regular n-simplex may be constructed from a regular (n − 1)-simplex by connecting a new vertex to all original vertices by the common edge length.
In topology and combinatorics, it is common to “glue together” simplices to form a simplicial complex. The associated combinatorial structure is called an abstract simplicial complex, in which context the word “simplex” simply means any finite set of vertices.
Simplex may refer to:
Simplex is an automobile manufacturer that existed briefly, in France, between 1919 and 1921.
The name Simplex was used during the early years of the twentieth century by a number of automobile manufacturers including one each in the Netherlands and England, and by (at least) two auto-makers in North America. The French Simplex company was not connected with these.
Usage examples of "simplex".
Now a plurality thus concentrated like the Intellectual Kosmos is close upon The First--and reason certifies its existence as surely as that of soul--yet, though of higher sovereignty than soul, it is not The First since it is not a unity, not simplex as unity, principle over all multiplicity, must be.
Manhattan Simplex Distributing, but rumour had it that using Lou Poller as a front, Lansky had helped the teamsters to take over the Miami National Bank, as recently as 1958.
All must be grouped under a unity which, as standing outside of all multiplicity and outside of any ordinary simplicity, is the veritably and essentially simplex.
Are we to think that a being knowing itself must contain diversity, that self-knowledge can be affirmed only when some one phase of the self perceives other phases, and that therefore an absolutely simplex entity would be equally incapable of introversion and of self-awareness?
It may also be mentioned that nouns with stem-forms in -m- (for -n in the simplex forms) would probably still show -n before the possessive ending -wa: Older mw came out as nw in Quenya (see VT41:5, Tolkien deriving the noun sanwë "thought" from older sam-wê).
Along with the usual laboratory standbys-- horse and sheep blood agar, chocolate agar, simplex, Sabourad's medium-- there were thirty diagnostic media, containing various sugars and minerals.
Along with the usual laboratory standbys-- horse and sheep blood agar, chocolate agar, simplex, Sabourad’.
Using a sanple of blood taken from the body of Gary Wechlas, she was methodically contaminating a series of growth media, jellied compounds filled with nutrients on which bacteria generally thrived: horse blood agar, sheep blood agar, simplex, chocolate agar, and many others.
Herpes simplex virus types responsible for cold sores and genital herpes.
They were using a common virus, herpes simplex Ia+, the virus that produces cold sores.
You test positive for herpes simplex type one, but negative for mono—.
I realize that discussing kiddie sniffles and herpes simplex in the same breath is a bit -- incongruous, shall we say, but we are dealing with the demon Virus here, which makes for strange bedfellows, to say nothing of making bedfellows strange.
And the bastard compounded his madness by hiding out in the low-rent bowels of Mazatlan like some half-mad leper gone over the brink after yet another debilitating attack of string warts and Herpes Simplex lesions.
Anyhow the herpes simplex keratitis which had afflicted him during the previous week had abated.
It was the simplex variety of machine which printed directly on a tape, instead of being a page printer.