”ないし”-Unable to understand the use of this phrase here


> 基底 **ないし** パターンの数ｍは、5.3.3項で説明した方法を使ってデータごとに求めるべきパラメータです

I am unable to understand the use of "ないし" phrase in the head of the above
sentence after the "基底". This phrase is a form of the adjective "ない", meaning
no/is not, which is mainly used when the speaker wants to continue after the
negation. So why is this being used in the head of the sentence ?

If necessary, this sentence is speaking about a machine learning algorithm and
its tuning.

Please help.




I think it's the conjunction
[乃至{ないし}](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B9%83%E8%87%B3-587098), meaning "or"
here, and "from ... to" in other contexts.

> 基底 **ないし** パターンの数ｍは…
>
> The (amount?) of bases **or** patterns, `m`, ...




[ないし](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/162407/meaning/m0u/) is a conjunction
that has two meanings:

  1. range of numbers

> 二年ないし三年 _from two to three years_ ; _two up to three years_

  2. "and/or" with some nuance of "by extension", such as...

> 母ないし親として _as a mother, or more generally, a parent_  
>  新幹線ないし特急で _by shinkansen or (if failed) express train_  
>  日本ないし韓国 _Japan, and (even) also Korea_

I don't know what relation lies between 基底 "basis" and パターン "pattern" in your
context, but logically it only means OR in any case.

