mode

(communications) Form of the information in a communication such as literal language, digital data, and video.
(computer science) One of several alternative conditions or methods of operation of a device.
(electromagnetism) A form of propagation of guided waves that is characterized by a particular field pattern in a plane transverse to the direction of propagation. Also known as transmission mode.
(petrology) The mineral composition of a rock, usually expressed as percentages of total weight or volume.
(physics) A state of an oscillating system that corresponds to a particular field pattern and one of the possible resonant frequencies of the system.
(statistics) The most frequently occurring member of a set of numbers.

(1) An operational state that a system has been switched to. It implies at least two possible conditions. There are countless modes for hardware and software. With regard to modes on a hard drive (Mode 2, Mode 3, etc.), see IDE. See Real Mode, Protected Mode, burst mode, insert mode, supervisor state and program state.

(2) In fiber optics, the reflective path taken by light in a fiber. Each mode has its own pattern of electromagnetic fields as it propagates through the fiber. From a cross section of the fiber, these modes can be viewed as multiple headlights beaming at you. In multimode fiber, multiple modes are generated, causing pulse dispersion at the receiving end. See multimode fiber, dispersion and fiber optics glossary.

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The figure in a set of data which occurs most often. If the mode is used to indicate the predominant class grouping, rather than an individual value, the term modal class is used. However, the modal class will change according to the class limits (the size of the value range for each class), so that a change of class limits may well give a different distribution.

1. The type of exercise; one of the main variables in an exercise programme.

2. In statistics, the most frequent scores of a series; the peak in a frequency distribution.