Abstract

Abstraction is the process of leaving out certain details of an idea or a concept to make it more general. The word abstract has the following connections:

• Abstract art does not try to represent the physical world as it is.
• Abstract ideas such as "democracy" are concepts. Unlike houses and books (which are objects) they cannot be touched. Other examples of abstract ideas are speed, rarity and courage.
• In logic, if something is abstract, it is general.
• Abstract algebra compares different kinds of algebra.
• An abstract in writing is a short summary of a paper or essay that tells the reader the main points. Such summaries or abstracts are common in articles published in scientific journals.