mathematics

Wikifunctions

Wikifunctions is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wikifunctions rather than just read about it. In short: Wikifunctions is a collaboratively edited catalog of computer functions to enable the creation, modification, and reuse of source code. It is closely related to Abstract Wikipedia, an extension of Wikidata to create a language-independent version of Wikipedia using its structured data.

Wikifunctions — illustration

Key takeaways

Wikifunctions belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wikifunctions to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wikifunctions from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wikifunctions is a collaboratively edited catalog of computer functions to enable the creation, modification, and reuse of source code. It is closely related to Abstract Wikipedia, an extension of Wikidata to create a language-independent version of Wikipedia using its structured data. Provisionally named Wikilambda, the definitive name of Wikifunctions was announced on 22 December 2020 following a naming contest. Wikifunctions is the first Wikimedia project to launch since Wikidata in 2012. After three years of development, Wikifunctions officially launched in July 2023.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wikifunctions

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wikifunctions claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wikifunctions before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wikifunctions ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wikifunctions

In research: Wikifunctions appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wikifunctions in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wikifunctions is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Creative Commons-licensed websites, Functional programming, Internet properties established in 2023, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wikifunctions outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wikifunctions in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wikifunctions means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wikifunctions out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wikifunctions in simple terms?

Why does Wikifunctions matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wikifunctions?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wikifunctions.