Primitive culture

Primitiveness (latin Primitivus " the first of its kind " ) is a designation for particular simplicity. In the social context is primitive for a perceived lack of civility, or to a person related to low intelligence.

In biology, especially in developmental biology, paleontology and paleoanthropology, the label is primitive anatomical features but value-neutral in the sense of original, used earthy and old ( see Plesiomorphie ), that is, as opposed to - also neutrally described - new, progressive, derived from the original state characteristics ( see apomorphy ). Often the pair of opposites can "primitive " / " derived " in the sense of "simple" / "complex" ( complex ) are understood.

Mathematics has the following meanings:

• The primitive roots of unity are precisely the zeros of th Kreisteilungspolynoms.
• A generating element of a simple field extension is called a primitive element of the extension field, for example, the imaginary unit is the primitive element of the simple field extension.
• A generating element of the multiplicative cyclic group of a finite field is called a primitive element of the field, see also primitive root.
• The primitive recursive functions are formed from simple basic functions by composition and ( primitive ) recursion and play an important role in recursion.

In crystallography are unit cells, in which the base vectors are selected so that the grid formed by them is identical with the crystal lattice, referred to as "primitive".

Previously, those indigenous peoples and ethnic groups were referred to as "primitive" that have no writing and only simple technique and which have an original and nature-loving culture and religion, usually with predominantly agriculture and animal husbandry (see evolutionism and contrast multi -linear evolution).