You see a red ball - we may say that it is a ball - we know that there are many balls in the world, and this particular ball is one of them. In this example, ball is an abstraction that represents usually round objects, usually used for playing. The particular ball we saw is called an instance of that abstraction.
Abstraction is something humans can understand that most animals don't. There are several levels of abstraction. In the example of the red ball, that specific red ball is a real or concrete thing. A red ball is an abstraction of that specific red ball. The concept of a ball is a further abstraction that includes red balls like that one, but also balls of other colors like green balls, blue balls, etc. The ball itself can be further abstracted into a sphere. There are many spheres in the world - for example, a globe is an instance of a sphere, but it is not a ball. A sphere is itself an instance of a volume. A volume is an instance of a shape. A shape is an instance of geometric concepts. A geometric concept is an instance of a mathematical concept. Each of the above stages was an abstraction of a more concrete concept.
Abstraction is used in several subjects - in language, all words are abstractions of real world things. In math, numbers are abstractions - 2 is an abstraction that applies to instances like 2 apples, 2 books, etc. In computers classes or types are abstractions of things - for example, a card game program may have types like cards, people, scores, and so on.
Question: List ten abstractions related to each of the following:
a) Your car
b) You
c) Bangalore
d) Your favorite toy
e) Your favorite book
This ends factoid #3 about abstractions.
Abstraction is something humans can understand that most animals don't. There are several levels of abstraction. In the example of the red ball, that specific red ball is a real or concrete thing. A red ball is an abstraction of that specific red ball. The concept of a ball is a further abstraction that includes red balls like that one, but also balls of other colors like green balls, blue balls, etc. The ball itself can be further abstracted into a sphere. There are many spheres in the world - for example, a globe is an instance of a sphere, but it is not a ball. A sphere is itself an instance of a volume. A volume is an instance of a shape. A shape is an instance of geometric concepts. A geometric concept is an instance of a mathematical concept. Each of the above stages was an abstraction of a more concrete concept.
Abstraction is used in several subjects - in language, all words are abstractions of real world things. In math, numbers are abstractions - 2 is an abstraction that applies to instances like 2 apples, 2 books, etc. In computers classes or types are abstractions of things - for example, a card game program may have types like cards, people, scores, and so on.
Question: List ten abstractions related to each of the following:
a) Your car
b) You
c) Bangalore
d) Your favorite toy
e) Your favorite book
This ends factoid #3 about abstractions.
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