Definition: Tuples

A tuple is a finite ordered list (sequence) of elements. It consists of immutable objects (objects that cannot change after creation).

Mathematicians usually write ‘tuples’ by listing the elements within parentheses and separated by commas; for example, $(2, 7, 4, 1, 7)$ denotes a 5-tuple.

A tuple is stored in a single block of memory.

Tuples are useful for representing what other languages often call records, or some related information that belongs together, like your student record. There is no description of what each element means, but we can guess quite easily because they will be related to each other.

A tuple lets us “chunk” related information together and use it as a single, unchangeable thing.