In mathematics, describing a relation where if element A relates to element B, then element B does not relate back to element A in the same way.
From anti- (against) + symmetric (having balanced proportions). The prefix anti- here indicates negation or opposition. This is mathematical terminology that solidified in the 20th century.
Antisymmetric relations like 'less than' are everywhere in math: 2 < 5 but 5 is not < 2—this simple concept became crucial to computer science and helped engineers build everything from databases to search algorithms.
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