Word describing multiple paths to the same abstract outcome Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar ManaraWhat is the word for a scenario in which all choices lead to the same outcomeA word that means the rate at which a system progresses away from equilibriumWhat name would you give to data about a person's illnesses, ailments, diseases and medical condition?What are adjectives/adverbs for saying that something occurred as a side effect of something else?adjective describing outcome of simulation using actual as opposed to approximate inputsA word/phrase for an unexpected change or turn of events in a person's lifeSingle word request for the effect of an expert's presenceWord describing multiple companies under one ownershipWord/phrase for vastly different methodologies/theories that lead to taking the same action?Word for someone who is a mix of shy and deliberately obtuse in a slightly flirtatious wayTerm for the brain's automatic [psychological] response to being told to do something; to not want to do that thing anymore

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Word describing multiple paths to the same abstract outcome



Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast?
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar ManaraWhat is the word for a scenario in which all choices lead to the same outcomeA word that means the rate at which a system progresses away from equilibriumWhat name would you give to data about a person's illnesses, ailments, diseases and medical condition?What are adjectives/adverbs for saying that something occurred as a side effect of something else?adjective describing outcome of simulation using actual as opposed to approximate inputsA word/phrase for an unexpected change or turn of events in a person's lifeSingle word request for the effect of an expert's presenceWord describing multiple companies under one ownershipWord/phrase for vastly different methodologies/theories that lead to taking the same action?Word for someone who is a mix of shy and deliberately obtuse in a slightly flirtatious wayTerm for the brain's automatic [psychological] response to being told to do something; to not want to do that thing anymore



.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;








4















I am looking for a word I came across but forgot to note down. It describes that multiple pathways can lead to the same outcome — not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached.



The word is academic English and to me it seemed to originate from Latin (I think something with equi...). I have been unsuccessfully searching for it for a while now.




I am not trying to portray the fact that all pathways have the same outcome. Rather, we see one outcome and there might be different pathways leading to it (i.e. looking from the perspective of the outcome back — trying to explain that it can have different pathways). Refer to this academic paper — just read the abstract — to get an idea.










share|improve this question
























  • Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 15:58












  • Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

    – Ivo
    Mar 25 at 16:10











  • Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 16:20







  • 1





    Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:18












  • This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:20

















4















I am looking for a word I came across but forgot to note down. It describes that multiple pathways can lead to the same outcome — not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached.



The word is academic English and to me it seemed to originate from Latin (I think something with equi...). I have been unsuccessfully searching for it for a while now.




I am not trying to portray the fact that all pathways have the same outcome. Rather, we see one outcome and there might be different pathways leading to it (i.e. looking from the perspective of the outcome back — trying to explain that it can have different pathways). Refer to this academic paper — just read the abstract — to get an idea.










share|improve this question
























  • Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 15:58












  • Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

    – Ivo
    Mar 25 at 16:10











  • Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 16:20







  • 1





    Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:18












  • This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:20













4












4








4








I am looking for a word I came across but forgot to note down. It describes that multiple pathways can lead to the same outcome — not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached.



The word is academic English and to me it seemed to originate from Latin (I think something with equi...). I have been unsuccessfully searching for it for a while now.




I am not trying to portray the fact that all pathways have the same outcome. Rather, we see one outcome and there might be different pathways leading to it (i.e. looking from the perspective of the outcome back — trying to explain that it can have different pathways). Refer to this academic paper — just read the abstract — to get an idea.










share|improve this question
















I am looking for a word I came across but forgot to note down. It describes that multiple pathways can lead to the same outcome — not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached.



The word is academic English and to me it seemed to originate from Latin (I think something with equi...). I have been unsuccessfully searching for it for a while now.




I am not trying to portray the fact that all pathways have the same outcome. Rather, we see one outcome and there might be different pathways leading to it (i.e. looking from the perspective of the outcome back — trying to explain that it can have different pathways). Refer to this academic paper — just read the abstract — to get an idea.







single-word-requests academia






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Mar 26 at 2:22









Laurel

34.9k668121




34.9k668121










asked Mar 25 at 15:33









IvoIvo

1285




1285












  • Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 15:58












  • Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

    – Ivo
    Mar 25 at 16:10











  • Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 16:20







  • 1





    Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:18












  • This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:20

















  • Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 15:58












  • Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

    – Ivo
    Mar 25 at 16:10











  • Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

    – Smock
    Mar 25 at 16:20







  • 1





    Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:18












  • This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:20
















Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

– Smock
Mar 25 at 15:58






Possibly a Duplicate of this english.stackexchange.com/questions/469562/… but maybe all roads lead to rome or Omnes viae Romam ducunt

– Smock
Mar 25 at 15:58














Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

– Ivo
Mar 25 at 16:10





Hey, I'm aware of the mentioned idiomatic expressions and they are not what I am looking for, so this is not a duplicate. :) Also, the idea I am trying to convey is different (see edit).

– Ivo
Mar 25 at 16:10













Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

– Smock
Mar 25 at 16:20






Ah i see, so more of a case that there are multiple distinct vectors that lead to a specific distinct outcome (not not necessarily all paths, and that other paths (or not following these paths) do not arrive here)

– Smock
Mar 25 at 16:20





1




1





Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

– smci
Mar 26 at 1:18






Tagged [single-word-requests]. If you also want multiple-word, please edit accordingly.

– smci
Mar 26 at 1:18














This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

– smci
Mar 26 at 1:20





This got me thinking 'idempotency' but that's different.

– smci
Mar 26 at 1:20










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















8














Perhaps equifinality? From Wikipedia,




Equifinality is the principle that in open systems a given end state
can be reached by many potential means. Also meaning that a goal can
be reached by many ways.




And from Merriam-Webster:




the property of allowing or having the same effect or result from
different events







share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    Another term is "path independent".

    – Acccumulation
    Mar 25 at 21:50


















5














While 'equifinality' seems to be the term you were looking for, I thought I'd mention an adjective that's sometimes used to express the same idea: convergent.



From Merriam-Webster:




  1. tending to move toward one point or to approach each other (convergent lines)

  2. exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development (convergent evolution)

    1. of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

    2. characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit




The usage in convergent lines (first meaning) clearly matches the idea that multiple lines (paths, if you will) can reach a common point, without implying that all lines will.



The second meaning is better exemplified in Wikipedia's description:




Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. ... The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are analogous, whereas homologous structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions.




Different metaphorical paths can lead to the same outcome, e.g. flight. Interestingly, in this usage the eventually reached states don't have to be the exact same ones - only that they need to show analogous features or effects.



The third meaning is from mathematics, where it's not always clear that different paths exist. In most math-related cases it's probably better to think of convergent as a technical term. However, a clear example of multiple paths leading to the same number can be found in the convergence of random numbers. Most straightforwardly, if you repeatedly roll a fair die and calculate the average of all rolls, this will eventually converge to 3.5, no matter the order of the rolls.



For more examples see Wikipedia's disambiguation page for convergence. Do note that not all those terms necessarily mean that a common goal is reached, however.






share|improve this answer























  • Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

    – smci
    Mar 26 at 1:21



















0














'reconvergent': Multiple paths may diverge, but ultimately they reconverge.



(You did qualify "not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached", but I don't understand, can you give a specific for-instance? what is an abstract path to an abstract state like? I read your reference and I'm none the wiser. For the broader sense where there isn't any actual physical path, I would just say "equivalent" or "having the same effect")






share|improve this answer
































    0














    "There's more than one way to skin a cat" isn't a single word, but it is an idiom with this meaning.






    share|improve this answer























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      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes








      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      8














      Perhaps equifinality? From Wikipedia,




      Equifinality is the principle that in open systems a given end state
      can be reached by many potential means. Also meaning that a goal can
      be reached by many ways.




      And from Merriam-Webster:




      the property of allowing or having the same effect or result from
      different events







      share|improve this answer




















      • 2





        Another term is "path independent".

        – Acccumulation
        Mar 25 at 21:50















      8














      Perhaps equifinality? From Wikipedia,




      Equifinality is the principle that in open systems a given end state
      can be reached by many potential means. Also meaning that a goal can
      be reached by many ways.




      And from Merriam-Webster:




      the property of allowing or having the same effect or result from
      different events







      share|improve this answer




















      • 2





        Another term is "path independent".

        – Acccumulation
        Mar 25 at 21:50













      8












      8








      8







      Perhaps equifinality? From Wikipedia,




      Equifinality is the principle that in open systems a given end state
      can be reached by many potential means. Also meaning that a goal can
      be reached by many ways.




      And from Merriam-Webster:




      the property of allowing or having the same effect or result from
      different events







      share|improve this answer















      Perhaps equifinality? From Wikipedia,




      Equifinality is the principle that in open systems a given end state
      can be reached by many potential means. Also meaning that a goal can
      be reached by many ways.




      And from Merriam-Webster:




      the property of allowing or having the same effect or result from
      different events








      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited Mar 25 at 16:37

























      answered Mar 25 at 16:30









      drewhartdrewhart

      2,946717




      2,946717







      • 2





        Another term is "path independent".

        – Acccumulation
        Mar 25 at 21:50












      • 2





        Another term is "path independent".

        – Acccumulation
        Mar 25 at 21:50







      2




      2





      Another term is "path independent".

      – Acccumulation
      Mar 25 at 21:50





      Another term is "path independent".

      – Acccumulation
      Mar 25 at 21:50













      5














      While 'equifinality' seems to be the term you were looking for, I thought I'd mention an adjective that's sometimes used to express the same idea: convergent.



      From Merriam-Webster:




      1. tending to move toward one point or to approach each other (convergent lines)

      2. exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development (convergent evolution)

        1. of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

        2. characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit




      The usage in convergent lines (first meaning) clearly matches the idea that multiple lines (paths, if you will) can reach a common point, without implying that all lines will.



      The second meaning is better exemplified in Wikipedia's description:




      Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. ... The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are analogous, whereas homologous structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions.




      Different metaphorical paths can lead to the same outcome, e.g. flight. Interestingly, in this usage the eventually reached states don't have to be the exact same ones - only that they need to show analogous features or effects.



      The third meaning is from mathematics, where it's not always clear that different paths exist. In most math-related cases it's probably better to think of convergent as a technical term. However, a clear example of multiple paths leading to the same number can be found in the convergence of random numbers. Most straightforwardly, if you repeatedly roll a fair die and calculate the average of all rolls, this will eventually converge to 3.5, no matter the order of the rolls.



      For more examples see Wikipedia's disambiguation page for convergence. Do note that not all those terms necessarily mean that a common goal is reached, however.






      share|improve this answer























      • Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

        – smci
        Mar 26 at 1:21
















      5














      While 'equifinality' seems to be the term you were looking for, I thought I'd mention an adjective that's sometimes used to express the same idea: convergent.



      From Merriam-Webster:




      1. tending to move toward one point or to approach each other (convergent lines)

      2. exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development (convergent evolution)

        1. of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

        2. characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit




      The usage in convergent lines (first meaning) clearly matches the idea that multiple lines (paths, if you will) can reach a common point, without implying that all lines will.



      The second meaning is better exemplified in Wikipedia's description:




      Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. ... The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are analogous, whereas homologous structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions.




      Different metaphorical paths can lead to the same outcome, e.g. flight. Interestingly, in this usage the eventually reached states don't have to be the exact same ones - only that they need to show analogous features or effects.



      The third meaning is from mathematics, where it's not always clear that different paths exist. In most math-related cases it's probably better to think of convergent as a technical term. However, a clear example of multiple paths leading to the same number can be found in the convergence of random numbers. Most straightforwardly, if you repeatedly roll a fair die and calculate the average of all rolls, this will eventually converge to 3.5, no matter the order of the rolls.



      For more examples see Wikipedia's disambiguation page for convergence. Do note that not all those terms necessarily mean that a common goal is reached, however.






      share|improve this answer























      • Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

        – smci
        Mar 26 at 1:21














      5












      5








      5







      While 'equifinality' seems to be the term you were looking for, I thought I'd mention an adjective that's sometimes used to express the same idea: convergent.



      From Merriam-Webster:




      1. tending to move toward one point or to approach each other (convergent lines)

      2. exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development (convergent evolution)

        1. of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

        2. characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit




      The usage in convergent lines (first meaning) clearly matches the idea that multiple lines (paths, if you will) can reach a common point, without implying that all lines will.



      The second meaning is better exemplified in Wikipedia's description:




      Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. ... The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are analogous, whereas homologous structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions.




      Different metaphorical paths can lead to the same outcome, e.g. flight. Interestingly, in this usage the eventually reached states don't have to be the exact same ones - only that they need to show analogous features or effects.



      The third meaning is from mathematics, where it's not always clear that different paths exist. In most math-related cases it's probably better to think of convergent as a technical term. However, a clear example of multiple paths leading to the same number can be found in the convergence of random numbers. Most straightforwardly, if you repeatedly roll a fair die and calculate the average of all rolls, this will eventually converge to 3.5, no matter the order of the rolls.



      For more examples see Wikipedia's disambiguation page for convergence. Do note that not all those terms necessarily mean that a common goal is reached, however.






      share|improve this answer













      While 'equifinality' seems to be the term you were looking for, I thought I'd mention an adjective that's sometimes used to express the same idea: convergent.



      From Merriam-Webster:




      1. tending to move toward one point or to approach each other (convergent lines)

      2. exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development (convergent evolution)

        1. of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

        2. characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit




      The usage in convergent lines (first meaning) clearly matches the idea that multiple lines (paths, if you will) can reach a common point, without implying that all lines will.



      The second meaning is better exemplified in Wikipedia's description:




      Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. ... The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are analogous, whereas homologous structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions.




      Different metaphorical paths can lead to the same outcome, e.g. flight. Interestingly, in this usage the eventually reached states don't have to be the exact same ones - only that they need to show analogous features or effects.



      The third meaning is from mathematics, where it's not always clear that different paths exist. In most math-related cases it's probably better to think of convergent as a technical term. However, a clear example of multiple paths leading to the same number can be found in the convergence of random numbers. Most straightforwardly, if you repeatedly roll a fair die and calculate the average of all rolls, this will eventually converge to 3.5, no matter the order of the rolls.



      For more examples see Wikipedia's disambiguation page for convergence. Do note that not all those terms necessarily mean that a common goal is reached, however.







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered Mar 25 at 20:14









      AnyonAnyon

      15114




      15114












      • Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

        – smci
        Mar 26 at 1:21


















      • Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

        – smci
        Mar 26 at 1:21

















      Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

      – smci
      Mar 26 at 1:21






      Perhaps 'reconvergent'?

      – smci
      Mar 26 at 1:21












      0














      'reconvergent': Multiple paths may diverge, but ultimately they reconverge.



      (You did qualify "not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached", but I don't understand, can you give a specific for-instance? what is an abstract path to an abstract state like? I read your reference and I'm none the wiser. For the broader sense where there isn't any actual physical path, I would just say "equivalent" or "having the same effect")






      share|improve this answer





























        0














        'reconvergent': Multiple paths may diverge, but ultimately they reconverge.



        (You did qualify "not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached", but I don't understand, can you give a specific for-instance? what is an abstract path to an abstract state like? I read your reference and I'm none the wiser. For the broader sense where there isn't any actual physical path, I would just say "equivalent" or "having the same effect")






        share|improve this answer



























          0












          0








          0







          'reconvergent': Multiple paths may diverge, but ultimately they reconverge.



          (You did qualify "not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached", but I don't understand, can you give a specific for-instance? what is an abstract path to an abstract state like? I read your reference and I'm none the wiser. For the broader sense where there isn't any actual physical path, I would just say "equivalent" or "having the same effect")






          share|improve this answer















          'reconvergent': Multiple paths may diverge, but ultimately they reconverge.



          (You did qualify "not in terms of physical paths but rather in terms of an abstract state being reached", but I don't understand, can you give a specific for-instance? what is an abstract path to an abstract state like? I read your reference and I'm none the wiser. For the broader sense where there isn't any actual physical path, I would just say "equivalent" or "having the same effect")







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Mar 26 at 2:44

























          answered Mar 26 at 1:23









          smcismci

          1,636914




          1,636914





















              0














              "There's more than one way to skin a cat" isn't a single word, but it is an idiom with this meaning.






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                0














                "There's more than one way to skin a cat" isn't a single word, but it is an idiom with this meaning.






                share|improve this answer

























                  0












                  0








                  0







                  "There's more than one way to skin a cat" isn't a single word, but it is an idiom with this meaning.






                  share|improve this answer













                  "There's more than one way to skin a cat" isn't a single word, but it is an idiom with this meaning.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Mar 26 at 3:28









                  nick012000nick012000

                  25517




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