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I'm writing a program with a numeric parser. The operations involved are multiplying, dividing, squaring, and cubing.

In order to define what kind of objects can be multiplied, divided, etc with what, I'm trying to name classes that define these relationships. Currently, I have MultiplicativeRelationship, CubicRelationship, QuadraticRelationship... and a divivitive relationship?

I can't think of a word that means 'of or relating to division'!

Divisible is the first word that comes to mind, but this can't be right because the relationship itself isn't divisible. The relationship describes other things that are divisible, making it a ________ relationship.

In short:
Multiplication is to Multiplicative as Division is to ________

Thanks!

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  • 4
    Perhaps fractional.
    – jxh
    Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 18:59
  • 4
    Isn't that still called multiplicative?
    – alwayslearning
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 8:20
  • 6
    Per the OED, it would be divisive. Multiplicative: "Tending to multiply or increase; having the quality or function of multiplying." Divisive: "Having the quality or function of dividing; causing or expressing division or distribution; making or perceiving distinctions, analytical."
    – 1006a
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 14:16
  • 7
    I disagree with this being off topic. The author came across an issue while programming, but the issue isn't related to programming per se.
    – jimm101
    Commented Nov 26, 2017 at 15:17
  • 1
    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it involves naming variables in computer code.
    – Xanne
    Commented Nov 27, 2017 at 7:10

5 Answers 5

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Although I'd love the answer to be 'divisive', I'm not sure there's a direct equivalent. In mathematics we speak of the 'multiplicative inverse' which is too much of a mouthful for your purposes. The term 'reciprocal' can be used to mean the same thing, but doesn't fit your pattern.

(You could try asking over at the SE Maths site.)

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According to the OED, it would be divisive.

  • Multiplicative: "Tending to multiply or increase; having the quality or function of multiplying."
  • Divisive: "Having the quality or function of dividing; causing or expressing division or distribution; making or perceiving distinctions, analytical." – 1006a –Mar 29, 2017

[In spite of the drawback of a vastly more idiomatic default meaning, there is nothing better. Context will obviously disambiguate.]

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Multiplication is to Multiplicative as Division is to Divisional.

divisional (adj.)

Of the nature of division; pertaining to, or serving for, division; characterized by division.

The cast-off shells resembling thin scales..impart to them a divisional structure, like that so frequently derived from plates of mica.
1844 G. L. Craik, Sketches of History of Literature & Learning in England vol. II. 30
[OED online]

division (n.)

The act or process of dividing : the state of being divided
...
divisional (adj.)
M-W

The ahd also gives divisional as an adjective for all senses.

divisional (adj.)

Of or pertaining to a division. Of or pertaining to the process of division.
Wiktionary

New technology that calculates average speeds can be seen on highways; the cameras identify the vehicle and measure the time it takes it to travel over a set distance. From this example, it can be seen that there is a multiplicative relationship (or a divisional relationship) between two factors that inform us of a rate.
Annette Hilton and ‎Geoff Hilton; Making Sense of a Number (2021)

The present fork in this road is whether to use fraction parts of speech or define fractional parts using transformation which will change the divisional operation into multiplication operation.
Keaton Williams; Layman's Transformation of String Theory (2023)

The Golden Section is principally a divisional relationship that is created by bisecting a unit of measure so that the first part is to the second part what the second is to the whole.
Thomas Barrie; The Sacred In-Between (2013)

FIGURE 4-4. The divisional relationship between notes moving from a whole note to a sixteenth note.
...
FIGURE 4-5. Divisional foundation of notes—half notes.
Eric Starr; The Everything Drum Book (2003)

Now this is readily answered—because the divisional lines, derived from continued bisection, are divisions of a straight line evenly divided at right angles to its length.
John Harris; The Circle and Straight Line, Vol.2 (1875)

We have thus an accurate measure of length etched upon the tube, which should have been one of pretty uniform calibre. The next point is to determine the true value of each of the divisional marks.
"On a convenient Instrument for graduating Glass Tubes" in Memoirs and Proceedings of the Chemical Society of London (1846)

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I would propose

DivisibleRelationship

because multiplicative is an adjective meaning

Tending to multiply or capable of multiplying (American Heritage)

Compare this with the definition of divisible:

Capable of being divided (American Heritage)

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  • One could say "multiplication : multiplicative :: division : divisive, but this is simply a case of analogy of spelling, and doesn't take into account the differences in meaning of the words.
    – tautophile
    Commented Jun 24, 2018 at 15:38
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multiplicative: tending or having the power to multiply.

additive: of, relating to, or characterized by addition.

subtractive: tending to subtract

So,

divisitive should be tending to division. Yes, this word does not exist in any of the standard (or auxiliary) dictionaries. If you use it, there is no harm. Few authors have already used it in their respective books.

Citation 1: Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning by Douglas A. Grouws

Situations must be developed in which children systematically build their understanding of principles that underlie the invariance and the compensation for variation within additive, subtractive, multiplicative and divisitive relations and operations.

Citation 2: Handbook of Research on Software Engineering and Productivity Technologies by by Ramachandran, Muthu [Leeds Metropolitian Univeristy, UK]

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  • Hello, Ubi. I'd better point out that while 'If you use it, there is no harm' is open to debate, suggesting a non-standard answer is not considered appropriate on ELU.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 10:19
  • Addition removes the -ion and adds -ive to become additive. Subtraction removes the -ion and adds -ive to become subtractive. Multiplication removes the -ion and adds -ive to become multiplicative. It makes no sense whatsoever that division should remove the -ion and add -itive rather than -ive to become divisitive instead of divisive. I don't see why you'd break the pattern when divisive fits the pattern perfectly.
    – Nuclear Hoagie
    Commented Jun 20 at 15:34
  • @EdwinAshworth You know that you are trying to buttonhole me into an argument over something that is pre-COVID. The tenacity, the urge to put someone in shackles, is real in this niche stack. What I said or did 5 years ago is not something I relate to now. If you have a problem with something, then please leave a neutral comment that helps future readers instead of initiating a discussion with me.
    – Ubi.B
    Commented Jul 4 at 7:59
  • As the downvote (not mine) is probably meant to convey, non-standard suggestions are considered inappropriate on ELU. And 'divisitive', where used (rarely) on the internet, seems to be a variant on 'divisive' and so is hardly an improvement.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jul 4 at 14:59

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