Transformation may refer to:

Science and mathematics

In biology and medicine

* Metamorphosis, the biological process of changing physical form after birth or hatching *

Malignant transformation Malignant transformation is the process by which cells acquire the properties of cancer. This may occur as a primary process in normal tissue, or secondarily as ''malignant degeneration'' of a previously existing benign tumor. Causes There are ...

, the process of cells becoming cancerous *

Transformation (genetics) In molecular biology and genetics, transformation is the genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of exogenous genetic material from its surroundings through the cell membrane(s). For transformation to t ...

, genetic alteration of a cell by DNA uptake

In mathematics

Transformation (function) In mathematics, a transformation is a function ''f'', usually with some geometrical underpinning, that maps a set ''X'' to itself, i.e. . Examples include linear transformations of vector spaces and geometric transformations, which inclu ...

, concerning functions from sets to themselves. For functions in the broader sense, see

function (mathematics) In mathematics, a function from a set to a set assigns to each element of exactly one element of .; the words map, mapping, transformation, correspondence, and operator are often used synonymously. The set is called the domain of the func ...

. **

Affine transformation In Euclidean geometry, an affine transformation or affinity (from the Latin, ''affinis'', "connected with") is a geometric transformation that preserves lines and parallelism, but not necessarily Euclidean distances and angles. More generall ...

, in geometry **

Linear transformation In mathematics, and more specifically in linear algebra, a linear map (also called a linear mapping, linear transformation, vector space homomorphism, or in some contexts linear function) is a mapping V \to W between two vector spaces that pr ...

between modules in linear algebra. Also called a linear map. ***

Transformation matrix In linear algebra, linear transformations can be represented by matrices. If T is a linear transformation mapping \mathbb^n to \mathbb^m and \mathbf x is a column vector with n entries, then T( \mathbf x ) = A \mathbf x for some m \times n matrix ...

which represent linear maps in linear algebra. *

Integral transform In mathematics, an integral transform maps a function from its original function space into another function space via integration, where some of the properties of the original function might be more easily characterized and manipulated than i ...

, between a function in one domain to a function in another *

Natural transformation In category theory, a branch of mathematics, a natural transformation provides a way of transforming one functor into another while respecting the internal structure (i.e., the composition of morphisms) of the categories involved. Hence, a na ...

between functors in category theory. *

Unitary transformation In mathematics, a unitary transformation is a transformation that preserves the inner product: the inner product of two vectors before the transformation is equal to their inner product after the transformation. Formal definition More precisely, ...

, between two Hilbert spaces *

Geometric transformation In mathematics, a geometric transformation is any bijection of a set to itself (or to another such set) with some salient geometrical underpinning. More specifically, it is a function whose domain and range are sets of points — most often ...

, between sets of points in geometry ** Infinitesimal transformation, a limiting case of a geometrical transformation

In physics and chemistry

* Chemical transformation * Phase transformation, a physical transition from one medium to another *

Transformation optics Transformation optics is a branch of optics which applies metamaterials to produce spatial variations, derived from coordinate transformations, which can direct chosen bandwidths of electromagnetic radiation. This can allow for the constructi ...

, generalized optical devices * Unitary transformation (quantum mechanics)

In other sciences

* Transformation problem, a concept in economics * Transformation (linguistics), a type of operation in transformational grammar * Transformation of precious metals, see

synthesis of precious metals The synthesis of precious metals involves the use of either nuclear reactors or particle accelerators to produce these elements. Precious metals occurring as fission products Ruthenium, rhodium Ruthenium and rhodium are precious metals pr ...

* Data transformation (statistics)

Arts and entertainment

In music

* Transformation (music) * ''Transformation'' (Don Preston album), 2001 * ''Transformation'' (Tal Wilkenfeld album), 2007 * ''Transformation'' (Signal Aout 42 album) * Transformation (Alex Skolnick Trio album) * "Transformation", a song by Nona Hendryx * ''Transformations'' (opera), a chamber opera by the American composer Conrad Susa * ''The Transformation'' (album)

In other arts and entertainment

* ''Transformation'' (novel), by Carol Berg * ''Transformation'', an alternate title for '' The Marble Faun'', a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne * " The Transformation", an episode of American television series ''Fringe'' * Transformation playing card * "Transformation" (short story), a short story by Mary Shelley

In business and technology

In business

Business transformation In management it has been said that business transformation involves making fundamental changes in how business is conducted in order to help cope with shifts in market environment. However this is a relatively narrow definition that overlooks o ...

, a major change in the identity, structure, or purpose of an organization (from the field of strategic management) * Transformation (law), a concept in copyright law *

Transformation (patent law) In United States patent law, the machine-or-transformation test is a test of patent eligibility under which a claim to a process qualifies for consideration if it (1) is implemented by a particular machine in a non-conventional and non-trivial ...

* Transformation design, a design process *

Transformational leadership Transformational leadership is a theory of leadership where a leader works with teams or followers beyond their immediate self-interests to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through influence, inspiration, and executing ...

, a managerial approach emphasizing organizational change * Maturity transformation, the practice of fractional reserve banks borrowing money on shorter timeframes than they lend money out *

Digital transformation Digital transformation is the adoption of digital technology by an organization to digitize non-digital products, services or operations. The goal for its implementation is to increase value through innovation, invention, customer experience or e ...

In computing

* Data transformation * Model transformation * Program transformation * XML transformation *

Transformation of text Transformations of text are strategies to perform geometric transformations on text (reversal, rotations, etc.), particularly in systems that do not natively support transformation, such as HTML, seven-segment displays and plain text. Implementa ...

Other uses

* ''Transformation'' (journal), an academic journal in the field of Biblical studies *

Transformation (warfare) Transformation is a buzzword popularized by Donald Rumsfeld referring to a "change of mindset that will allow the Smilitary to harness the technological advances of the information age to gain a qualitative advantage over any potential foe." Boot, ...

* Transformation of culture * Transformational festival *

Spiritual transformation Spiritual transformation involves a fundamental change in a person's sacred or spiritual life. Psychologists examine spiritual transformation within the context of an individual's ''meaning system'', Israela Silberman (2005)Religion as a meanin ...

, a fundamental change in an individual (a psychological and New-Age concept) *

Shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

, a type of transformation common in mythology and folklore