In mathematics, a form of notation whose meaning relies in part on the relative location of the elements involved. For example, common numeric notation is positional notation. In the decimal number 34, the position of the numeral 3 signifies three 10s and the position of the numeral 4 signifies four 1s. A numeration system in which a real number is represented by an ordered set of characters where the value of a character depends on its position; SYN. positional representation system.