Transformaati

Transformaati is a term used in Finnish to denote the concept of transformation, the process of changing something from one state to another. It stems from the Latin transformare, meaning to change in form. In Finnish, the standard noun for transformation is transformaatio, but transformaati appears in specialized or compound terms and in some contexts as a variant form.

In mathematics, transformaati (often translated as transformation) refers to a mapping between sets that assigns to each element of a domain an element of a codomain, typically preserving certain structure. Examples include geometric transformations such as rotations, translations, reflections, and scalings, as well as linear transformations represented by matrices.

In physics, transformations describe how quantities or equations change under changes of reference frame or conditions. Classic examples include Galilean and Lorentz transformations, which relate observations made by different observers, and symmetry transformations that underlie conservation laws.

In computer science and data handling, transformaati denotes operations that convert data from one format or representation to another. This encompasses data normalization, encoding, decoding, and ETL (extract, transform, load) processes used to prepare data for analysis or storage.

In linguistics and cognitive science, transformational ideas study how underlying structures are transformed into observable expressions, such as rules in transformational grammar. In art and music, transformations describe variations or metamorphoses of motifs through procedural or stylistic changes.

See also transformation, metamorphosis, coordinate transformation, transformation matrix, data transformation.