A tensor is an array of mathematical expressions that expresses dependency of the array’s output parameters on the input parameters.
In the context of System Engineering, tensor-valued parameters admit to explicit relationships between numbers and circumstances. A “value” can (therefore) then be a recipe1 for generating a number based on circumstances, rather than just some specific range of numbers.
A tensor, properly constructed, can constitute a model all by itself. In this context, “properly constructed” means that independence between the output parameters has been established. Such models can be used to express complicated relationships between (for example) performance and circumstances. They also explicate those characteristics of the conceptual design that enter into such calculations, and (therefore) can be interpreted as defining the conceptual design itself.
Footnotes- e.g., lookup table, statistical equation, formula, algorithm, procedure.[↩]