What is Bivalent in Mathematics?

In mathematics, particularly in the context of set theory and logic, "bivalent" refers to something that has two possible values or outcomes.

For example, a binary decision (yes/no, true/false) is bivalent because it can only have one of two possible values. Similarly, a two-valued logic is bivalent because it can only have two possible truth values (true or false).

In contrast, a ternary logic (with three possible truth values) is trivalent, and a n-valued logic (with n > 2 possible truth values) is n-valent.

The term "bivalent" is derived from the Latin words "bi," meaning "two," and "valens," meaning "strong" or "powerful." It was first used in this context by the mathematician Gottlob Frege in the late 19th century.

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