reduction

reduction, in chemistry: see oxidation and reduction.

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reduction

Any of a class of chemical reactions in which the number of electrons associated with an atom or group of atoms is increased. The electrons taken up by the substance reduced are supplied by another substance, often hydrogen (H₂), which is thereby oxidized. See also oxidation-reduction.

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reduction - (Or "contraction") The process of transforming an expression according to certain reduction rules. The most important forms are beta reduction (application of a lambda abstraction to one or more argument expressions) and delta reduction (application of a mathematical function to the required number of arguments). An evaluation strategy (or reduction strategy), determines which part of an expression (which redex) to reduce first. There are many such strategies. See graph reduction, string reduction, normal order reduction, applicative order reduction, parallel reduction, alpha conversion, beta conversion, delta conversion, eta conversion.