Eliminationsprozess

Eliminationsprozess, or process of elimination, is a method for progressively discarding alternatives, variables, or possibilities in order to arrive at a final result or a reduced set of options. The approach is used across disciplines to increase focus, reduce uncertainty, and simplify complex problems.

In mathematics and computer science, elimination refers to procedures that remove unwanted terms or variables to simplify equations or datasets. Gaussian elimination solves systems of linear equations by applying row operations to eliminate variables, transforming the coefficient matrix into an upper triangular form and enabling back-substitution. In logic and computation, elimination can also mean applying rules that discard impossible or contradicted possibilities to narrow down solutions.

In problem solving and decision making, the process of elimination involves setting criteria and sequentially ruling out options that fail to meet them. This approach helps manage large option spaces by concentrating attention on viable candidates. In education and testing, the technique appears in the form of the process of elimination used to identify the correct answer by discarding distractors in multiple-choice items.

In organizational and selection contexts, elimination rounds are used to prune candidates or proposals through stages such as screening, interviews, or tests. While the method can improve efficiency and fairness by focusing on feasible options, it also carries risks of bias, over-exclusion, or criteria that are not well defined.

See also: Gaussian elimination, process of elimination, elimination rounds.