Skalning

Skalning is a Swedish term for scaling, the process of changing the size of something or the level of magnification, with the aim of preserving relationships or proportions where possible. The concept is used across many fields and in everyday language, from resizing digital images to adjusting models, plans, or budgets.

In technology and design, image scaling or resampling changes the pixel dimensions of raster graphics, balancing quality, speed, and file size. Common interpolation methods include nearest neighbor, bilinear, and bicubic. Vector graphics scale without loss of quality because they are defined by mathematical descriptions rather than fixed pixels. In computer graphics and geometry, a scale transformation multiplies coordinates by a scale factor, with isotropic scaling applying the same factor in all directions and anisotropic scaling using different factors along axes.

In science, scaling relates to how properties change with size. Allometry studies how traits such as metabolism or kinematics vary with body size. In urban science and ecology, scaling laws describe how characteristics like infrastructure, energy use, or economic activity change as city size or organism size increases. Metabolic rate in biology, for example, is commonly described as scaling with body mass according to a characteristic exponent.

In engineering and design, scale models are used to test hypotheses and prototypes before full-size production, guided by similarity principles and, where applicable, dimensionless numbers like Reynolds or Froude that relate model behavior to real-world systems.

Common usage contrasts scaling up with scaling down, reflecting the adjustment of magnitude or scope while intending to maintain functional relationships. See also scale (mathematics), image scaling, allometry, and scale models.