In
mathematics, a
variable may be
continuous or
discrete. If it can take on two particular
real values such that it can also take on all real values between them (even values that are arbitrarily close together), the variable is continuous in that
interval. If it can take on a value such that there is a non-
infinitesimal gap on each side of it containing no values that the variable can take on, then it is discrete around that value. In some contexts a variable can be discrete in some ranges of the
number line and continuous in others.