kernel (EN)

noun

noun “kernel”

1. the inner, usually edible part of a nut after removing the hard shell
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   After cracking open the walnut, she found a perfectly intact kernel inside.
2. a single seed or grain, like those of corn or wheat
   She popped a corn kernel into her mouth, enjoying its crunchy texture.
3. the most important or central part of something
   At the kernel of her happiness was a deep sense of gratitude.
4. in computing, the essential part of many operating systems that manages how the system uses its resources
   The kernel is responsible for allocating memory to different applications running on your computer.
5. in calculus, a specific function that helps define an integral transform
   In signal processing, the Gaussian kernel helps in smoothing the data by averaging adjacent points.
6. in mathematics, the set of all elements that a given function maps to zero
   In our linear algebra class, we learned that the kernel of a matrix includes all the vectors that, when multiplied by the matrix, result in the zero vector.