An abstraction is a concept that models something else, allowing expression of the concept without it's complexity & ambiguity. A word or phrase is an abstraction.
Abstractions allow perspectives to be applied to a system.
Abstractions are useful in creating simplified (less precise) systems that can be related to other systems using analogies.
Abstraction is a form of illusion, since it alters the perception of actual entity. The abstraction simplifies the abstracted entity.
An entity has a limited ability to focus on complexity. Somehow, humans make sense of the world with language.
The more an entity is abstracted, the less novelty that individual is perceived to have. One should be aware that all entities have novel personalities & lives. One should have compassion & respect for everyone.
Cultural Definition
08 NATF14 Guest Keynote: "Brains, Data, and Machine Intelligence" - Jeff Hawkins
Abstraction in its main sense is a conceptual process by which general rules and concepts are derived from the usage and classification of specific examples, literal ("real" or "concrete") signifiers, first principles, or other methods. "An abstraction" is the product of this process—a concept that acts as a super-categorical noun for all subordinate concepts, and connects any related concepts as a group, field, or category.
The act of abstracting, separating, withdrawing, or taking away; withdrawal; the state of being taken away.
A separation from worldly objects; a recluse life, as a hermit's abstraction; the withdrawal from one's senses.
The act of focusing on one characteristic of an object rather than the object as a whole group of characteristics; the act of separating said qualities from the object or ideas. "Abstraction is necessary for the classification of things into genera and species."
The act of comparing commonality between distinct objects and organizing using those similarities; the act of generalizing characteristics; the product of said generalization.
An idea or notion of an abstract or theoretical nature. "to fight for mere abstractions."
Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present objects; preoccupation.
(art) An abstract creation, or piece of art; qualities of artwork that are free from representational aspects.
(chemistry) A separation of volatile parts by the act of distillation.
An idea of an unrealistic or visionary nature.
The result of mentally abstracting an idea; the results of said process.
(geology) The merging of two river valleys by the larger of the two deepening and widening so much so, as to assimilate the smaller.
(computing) Any generalization technique that ignores or hides details to capture some kind of commonality between different instances for the purpose of controlling the intellectual complexity of engineered systems, particularly software systems.
(computing) Any intellectual construct produced through the technique of abstraction.
Abstraction: A Historical and Interdisciplinary Perspective
Abstraction is:
- to take a distance from the physical world
- (or is a close to) generalization
- information hiding
- to keep only relevant aspects
- a kind of reformulation or approximation
- a to change levels of detail
Pattern Expression
All entities perceive Existence using abstractions.
A Rock can use Abstraction by interpreting it being hit by a hammer as kinetic energy. From the perspective of the rock, it does not matter how the form of kinetic energy occurred; only the form of the kinetic energy matters.
A Human can express any Entity in Existence as an abstraction.
A Human has a neocortex, which creates & stores the abstractions.
A Human perceives the Entities in Existence by using abstractions that the Human made, using the neocortex.