Eliminaatio

Eliminaatio is the Finnish term for elimination, used across science and mathematics to describe processes that remove one or more components to yield a simpler or more specific result.

In mathematics, eliminaatio refers to methods for removing variables from equations in order to obtain relations among the remaining variables. Classical examples include Gaussian elimination for solving linear systems and elimination theory in algebraic geometry, which uses resultants or Groebner bases to project solution sets and eliminate variables. The concept is central to symbolic computation, polynomial systems, and model reduction.

In organic chemistry, eliminaatio denotes elimination reactions, where atoms or groups are removed from a molecule to form a new multiple bond. Key types are E1 and E2. Reactions depend on leaving-group quality, base strength, and substrate structure; common examples include dehydration of alcohols to alkenes and dehydrohalogenation of haloalkanes to alkenes. E2 often requires anti-periplanar geometry, and Zaitsev’s rule describes the major product distribution in many cases.

Eliminaatio also appears in other contexts as a general term for simplifying models or removing variables in data analysis and control theory. In Finnish technical literature, it is used similarly to the English term “elimination,” spanning both mathematical and chemical domains. See also elimination theory, Gaussian elimination, and elimination reaction.