transportfuncties

The term transportfuncties (Dutch for "transport functions") is used in multiple disciplines to describe mathematical or physical representations of transfer processes—how mass, energy, or information moves from one state to another.

In mathematics, especially optimal transport theory, a transport function or transport map T moves a source measure μ to a target measure ν, preserving total mass and minimizing transport cost; equivalently, the push-forward T#μ equals ν, and the Kantorovich formulation uses transport plans.

In physics and engineering, transport functions describe the flow of quantities such as heat, charge, or momentum through media. They are governed by transport equations and constitutive relations (for example, Fourier's law for heat, Ohm's law for electricity) with transport coefficients like diffusivity or conductivity.

In biology and biochemistry, transport functions refer to membrane transport mechanisms—proteins that move ions, nutrients, and waste across cell membranes, including channels, carriers, and pumps, often driven by gradients or energy input.

In computing and networks, transport functions relate to the transport layer, managing data transfer between endpoints, including reliability, sequencing, and congestion control, as implemented by protocols such as TCP and UDP.

In economics and logistics, transport functions model costs, travel times, and capacity in transport networks, and are used in optimization problems like routing, scheduling, and facility location.

Across disciplines, the central idea is to quantify or optimize the transfer process between states; the specific meaning depends on the field.