Abstract

Abstraction is the process of leaving out certain details of an idea or a concept to make it more general. The word abstract has the following connections:

  • Abstract art does not try to represent the physical world as it is.
  • Abstract ideas such as "democracy" are concepts. Unlike houses and books (which are objects) they cannot be touched. Other examples of abstract ideas are speed, rarity and courage.
  • In logic, if something is abstract, it is general.
  • Abstract algebra compares different kinds of algebra.
  • An abstract in writing is a short summary of a paper or essay that tells the the main points. Such summaries or abstracts are common in articles published in scientific journals.