Spectrum

: spectra or spectrums)[1] is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum.

The word spectrum was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light after passing through a prism.

Such uses imply a broad range of conditions or behaviors grouped together and studied under a single title for ease of discussion.

In the physical sciences, the term spectrum was introduced first into optics by Isaac Newton in the 17th century, referring to the range of colors observed when white light was dispersed through a prism.

[5] An example of a narrow spectrum antibiotic is Dicloxacillin, which acts on beta-lactamase-producing Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus.

In algebraic topology, a spectrum is an object representing a generalized cohomology theory.