Kernel

Last updated December 15, 2025

Kernel may refer to:

Computing

Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems
Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution
Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming
Kernel method, in machine learning
Kernelization, a technique for designing efficient algorithms
- Kernel, a routine that is executed in a vectorized loop, for example in general-purpose computing on graphics processing units
KERNAL, the Commodore operating system

Kernel (algebra), a general concept that includes:
- Kernel (linear algebra) or null space, a set of vectors mapped to the zero vector
- Kernel (category theory), a generalization of the kernel of a homomorphism
- Kernel (set theory), an equivalence relation: partition by image under a function
- Difference kernel, a binary equalizer: the kernel of the difference of two functions

Kernel (geometry), the set of points within a polygon from which the whole polygon boundary is visible
Kernel (statistics), a weighting function used in kernel density estimation to estimate the probability density function of a random variable
Integral kernel or kernel function, a function of two variables that defines an integral transform
Heat kernel, the fundamental solution to the heat equation on a specified domain
Convolution kernel
Stochastic kernel, the transition function of a stochastic process
Transition kernel, a generalization of a stochastic kernel
Pricing kernel, the stochastic discount factor used in mathematical finance
Positive-definite kernel, a generalization of a positive-definite matrix
Kernel trick, in statistics
Reproducing kernel Hilbert space