rectification

Rectification is the act or process of correcting something, making it right, or aligning it to a standard. In specialized contexts, rectification refers to distinct procedures that share the basic idea of correcting or straightening.

In electrical engineering, rectification is the conversion of alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) using diodes, vacuum tubes, or solid-state devices. Common configurations include half-wave, full-wave, and bridge rectifiers, which produce pulsating DC that is often smoothed by capacitors for power supplies and electronic circuits.

In law and administration, rectification is the court-ordered correction of a written instrument to reflect the true agreement or intention of the parties. It is used when the document does not accurately record the agreement due to error, omission, or misstatement, and the court determines that the instrument should be rewritten to reflect that purpose.

In geodesy, surveying, and cartography, rectification refers to transforming spatial data to remove distortions and align it with a standard coordinate system. Rectified maps or photographs are adjusted relative to ground control points or known projections, enabling accurate measurements, comparisons, and geographic information system analyses.

In mathematics, rectification of a curve is the process of determining its arc length, effectively “straightening” the curve into a line whose length equals the curve’s length. For example, the rectification of a circle yields its circumference as the length of the circle’s arc.