Transformácia

Transformácia is a noun used in Slovak and other languages (for example, Polish transformacja, Czech transformace, English transformation) to denote the process of changing form, appearance, or structure. It can refer to any alteration in the properties of an object, system, or concept while preserving some underlying function or identity. The term is widely used across disciplines to describe deliberate redesign, adaptation, or development.

In mathematics and computer science, a transformation is a relation that associates each element of a set with an element of another set. Examples include linear and affine transformations, coordinate changes, and geometric transforms used in computer graphics. In data analysis, transforms such as the Fourier transform or logarithmic transform are used to alter the representation of data for processing or interpretation.

In biology and medicine, genetic transformation refers to the uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA by a cell, notably by bacteria in transformation experiments. It is used in biotechnology for cloning, library construction, and genome editing. Ethical and safety considerations accompany both natural transformation processes and engineered transformations in organisms.

In physics and chemistry, phase transformations describe changes between solid, liquid, and gaseous states or between different crystal structures under varying temperature and pressure. In linguistics, transformation denotes syntactic operations that modify sentence structure without changing its core meaning. In the social sciences, organizational or societal transformation describes broad, long-term change in institutions, culture, or practices.

Etymology: from Latin transformare via several European languages; related terms include transform, transformation, transformácia in Slovak, transformace in Czech, transformacja in Polish. The term is used in many fields with field-specific meanings.