:pathological: adj. 1. [scientific computation] Used of a data set
that is grossly atypical of normal expected input, esp. one that
exposes a weakness or bug in whatever algorithm one is using. An
algorithm that can be broken by pathological inputs may still be
useful if such inputs are very unlikely to occur in practice.
2. When used of test input, implies that it was purposefully
engineered as a worst case. The implication in both senses is that
the data is spectacularly ill-conditioned or that someone had to
explicitly set out to break the algorithm in order to come up with
such a crazy example. 3. Also said of an unlikely collection of
circumstances. "If the network is down and comes up halfway
through the execution of that command by root, the system may just
crash." "Yes, but that's a pathological case." Often used to
dismiss the case from discussion, with the implication that the
consequences are acceptable, since they will happen so infrequently
(if at all) that it doesn't seem worth going to the extra trouble
to handle that case (see sense 1).
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
that is grossly atypical of normal expected input, esp. one that
exposes a weakness or bug in whatever algorithm one is using. An
algorithm that can be broken by pathological inputs may still be
useful if such inputs are very unlikely to occur in practice.
2. When used of test input, implies that it was purposefully
engineered as a worst case. The implication in both senses is that
the data is spectacularly ill-conditioned or that someone had to
explicitly set out to break the algorithm in order to come up with
such a crazy example. 3. Also said of an unlikely collection of
circumstances. "If the network is down and comes up halfway
through the execution of that command by root, the system may just
crash." "Yes, but that's a pathological case." Often used to
dismiss the case from discussion, with the implication that the
consequences are acceptable, since they will happen so infrequently
(if at all) that it doesn't seem worth going to the extra trouble
to handle that case (see sense 1).
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- pathological: adj. 1. [scientific computation] Used of a data set
that is grossly atypical of normal expected input,
esp. one that exposes a weakness or bug in whatever... - well-behaved adj.
1. [primarily MS-DOS] Said of
software conforming to system interface guidelines and standards.
Well-behaved software uses the operating system to... - fencepost error n.
1. [common] A problem with the discrete
equivalent of a boundary condition,
often exhibited in programs by iterative loops.... - nonlinear: adj. [scientific computation] 1. Behaving in an erratic
and unpredictable fashion;
unstable. When used to describe the behavior of... - fencepost error: n. 1. A problem with the discrete equivalent of a
boundary condition,
often exhibited in programs by iterative loops.... - bug n.
An unwanted and unintended property of a program or
piece of hardware,
esp. one that causes it to malfunction. Antonym... - brute force adj.
Describes a primitive programming style,
one in which the programmer relies on the computer's... - ping
[from the submariners' term for a sonar pulse] 1.
n. Slang term for a small network message (ICMP... - spam vt.,vi.,n.
[from "Monty Python's Flying
Circus"] 1.
To crash a program by overrunning a fixed-size buffer...
