Symbolisation

Symbolisation is the process of representing objects, ideas, or processes through symbols or signs. It encompasses the creation, use, and interpretation of signs that stand for something beyond their literal form. The term is used across disciplines to describe how meaning is encoded and communicated through symbolic systems, and it can involve conventional signs such as words, numerals, icons, or gestures.

Etymology and usage: From symbol + -isation; in British English symbolisation and in American English symbolization refer to the same concept.

In semiotics and linguistics, symbols are signs whose relationship to their meaning is conventional or culturally established, as opposed to icons or indices. Symbolisation in these fields concerns how communities agree on the association between sign and meaning.

In logic and mathematics, symbolisation is the practice of translating statements into formal notation, enabling precise deduction. In formal languages, symbolisation includes variables, operators, and brackets; it underpins symbolic logic, computer science, and mathematics.

In cognitive science and artificial intelligence, symbolisation refers to representing knowledge with symbolic structures and rules, in contrast with sub-symbolic approaches like neural networks. Debates about symbol grounding address how symbols acquire meaning from real-world data.

Symbolisation also appears in art and culture as a means of encoding values, rituals, or narratives into symbolic forms.

Caveats: symbolisation conveys representation rather than reality; interpretation can vary by context; ambiguity may arise when signs carry multiple meanings.