internic, A question for real mathematicians out there (or at least the math rigor curious): Do folks in #math maintain consistent distinctions between the meaning of the terms "outer product" and "tensor product" (and for bonus points throw in "Kronecker product")?
I learned these concepts mostly from physicists (which is a bit like learning manners from being raised by wolves), and there was a tendency not to use consistent terminology or draw clear distinctions, though sometimes they were being used to refer to slightly different, but related, things. I could generally follow the sense in which terms were being used in a given application by context, so I didn't worry about it too much. A cursory look online also suggests that usage is heterogeneous, but I'm curious if mathematicians are, in fact, a bit more consistent.
Add comment