Bisection is a mathematical and engineering technique that involves dividing an object or system into two equal or unequal parts. In mathematics, bisection is commonly used to find the roots of a function by repeatedly dividing an interval in half and determining which half contains the root. This technique is particularly useful for finding roots of complex functions that cannot be solved analytically. In engineering, bisection is often used to isolate the root cause of a bug in a complex system by dividing the system in half and testing each half to determine which half contains the bug. Bisection has a long history, dating back to the seventeenth century when it was first used to divide objects into two equal parts. The term bisection is derived from the Latin words bis meaning twice and secare meaning to cut. Its usage has remained consistent throughout history, with its primary meaning being the division of an object or system into two parts. Bisection has many applications in mathematics, engineering, and science. In mathematics, bisection is used to find the roots of functions, to bisect angles and line segments, and to divide polygons into equal parts. In engineering, bisection is used to isolate the root cause of bugs in complex systems, to divide circuits into equal parts, and to divide materials into equal parts for testing. In science, bisection is used to study the behavior of cells, to divide organisms for study, and to divide materials for analysis.
mathematics, engineering, roots, bugs, polygons, circuits, cells, organisms, analysis
Bisection is a noun meaning a division into two equal parts. Synonyms for bisection include partition, separation, breakdown, and splitting. Antonyms for bisection are unification and whole. Cognates include foreign words with similar meanings, such as Spanish 'división' and French 'scission'. Variants of bisection, such as bifurcation and cleavage, describe processes by which objects or concepts are separated or subdivided.
Etymology Morphology Bisection Compound Lexeme Word Origin Derivation
The term “bisection” is derived from Latin, bis or biceps, meaning “twice” and secare, meaning “to cut”. Its original meaning was to divide into two parts, which has its earliest uses in the seventeenth century. As such, it is a word of considerable antiquity, and its usage has remained consistent throughout its history. In modern English, its primary meaning is to divide into two unequal parts, though the more specific process of dividing a line segment into two equal parts is also encompassed. Its morphological and pragmatic uses are varied, though the various applications of bisection inherently involve a symmetric or even distribution of components. For instance, in mathematics, the bisection of an angle involves the rotation line of symmetry by half the amount of the angle in question, ensuring an even distribution of the angle’s components. Similarly, the bisection of a line segment involves the process of dividing the line into two equal parts.
etymology, morphology, Bisection, linguistics, pragmatics
Bisection is a software engineering technique used to rapidly identify and isolate the root cause of a bug within a complex system. This method involves performing a binary search between two points in order to efficiently narrow down the search and quickly identify the source of the problem. It has been popularized by the work of Edsger Dijkstra and Donald Knuth. Bisection is beneficial in that it requires fewer steps to identify a root cause, as compared to linear search methods, while also being more accurate than other heuristics-based approaches.
Software engineering, debugging, root cause analysis, bug fixing, bug isolation.
CITATION : "Ahmad Al-Khatib. 'Bisection.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=210749 (Accessed on June 13, 2025)"
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