analysis

1. 1. The separation of an intellectual or material whole into its constituent parts for individual study.
   2. The study of such constituent parts and their interrelationships in making up a whole.
   3. A spoken or written presentation of such study: published an analysis of poetic meter.
2. Chemistry.
   1. The separation of a substance into its constituent elements to determine either their nature (qualitative analysis) or their proportions (quantitative analysis).
   2. The stated findings of such a separation or determination.
3. Mathematics.
   1. A branch of mathematics principally involving differential and integral calculus, sequences, and series and concerned with limits and convergence.
   2. The method of proof in which a known truth is sought as a consequence of a series of deductions from that which is the thing to be proved.
4. Linguistics. The use of function words such as prepositions, pronouns, or auxiliary verbs instead of inflectional endings to express a grammatical relationship; for example, the cover of the dictionary instead of the dictionary's cover.
5. Psychoanalysis.
6. Systems analysis.

[Medieval Latin, from Greek analusis, a dissolving, from analūein, to undo : ana-, throughout; see ana– + lūein, to loosen.]

The determination of the components in a chemical sample. Qualitative analysis involves determining the nature of a pure unknown compound or the compounds present in a mixture. Various chemical tests exist for different elements or types of compound, and systematic analytical procedures can be used for mixtures. Quantitative analysis involves measuring the proportions of known components in a mixture. Chemical techniques for this fall into two main classes: volumetric analysis and gravimetric analysis. In addition, there are numerous physical methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis, including spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, polarography, chromatography, activation analysis, etc.

Examination and division of a business-related situation or problem into major elements in order to understand the item in question and make appropriate recommendations. An example is the evaluation of a product line in terms of pricing, quality, service, demand, and market share done by the marketing staff. The purpose of the effort is to identify problems so that marketing management can make better decisions to enhance profitability.

noun

1. The separation of a whole into its parts for study: anatomy, breakdown, dissection. See assemble/disassemble, investigate.
2. A close or systematic study: examination, inspection, investigation, review, survey. See investigate.

Definition: dissection
Antonyms: synthesis

A separation into component parts.

That part of the study of music which takes the music itself, rather than any external factor, as its starting-point. It normally involves the resolution of a musical structure into relatively simpler constituent elements and the investigation of the roles of those elements in the structure. There are many different types and methods of analysis, including by fundamental structure (Schenker), by theme, by form (Tovey), by phrase-structure (Riemann) and by information-theory.

Chemistry

Math

For more information on analysis, visit Britannica.com.

The process of breaking a concept down into more simple parts, so that its logical structure is displayed. At its most elementary this may be revealed by a dictionary definition (‘to be a vixen is to be a female fox’). But analytic philosophy, as practised by Russell, the early Wittgenstein, and Moore, took the successes of logic at the beginning of the 20th century to open the way to a general programme, in which the meaning or truth conditions of propositions would be displayed by a process that revealed hidden logical structure beneath the surface form of statements (see logical atomism, logical form). Philosophical analysis would provide a scientific, objective approach to traditional problems. Just as a mathematician can provide a definition of a complex notion, revealing its identity in terms of a sequence of simpler operations, so the philosopher should be able to identify the nature of a complex concept in terms of simple constituent ideas and operations. The programme of analysis reached its zenith with the early work of the logical positivists, and especially Carnap, although it influenced almost all Anglo-American philosophy for the first half of the 20th century, and much of it beyond that.

Although the ideal of analysis had a profoundly healthy effect on philosophy, by insisting on rigorous attention to meaning at all stages of philosophizing, the original confidence in the method proved over-optimistic. First, it turns out that remarkably few interesting concepts admit of uncontroversial analyses. Secondly, it is plausible that there is good reason for this, in that concepts gain their identity not so much through internal structure, as through their place in a larger theory or network of doctrines and practices with which they are associated (see holism). Thirdly, apart from empiricist or atomistic doctrine, there is no principled way of determining where a process of analysis ought to stop, or even, perhaps, determining in which direction it ought to set out. Finally, the test for a successful analysis, namely the display of a complex structure that is actually synonymous with the original concept, is uncertain in its application, and rather than being an objective arbiter of philosophical doctrine, will be contested in the light of such doctrines.

An explanation of a process or phenomenon in terms of its component parts. Analysis of chemicals, such as drugs, involves breaking down the substance in order to determine the type of constituents (qualitative analysis) or the amount of each constituent (quantitative analysis).

Separation into component parts.

• cohort a. — the separation of each of two cohorts into component parts and comparing the results.
• current a. — analysis performed on contemporary data.
• discriminant a. — a form of multivariate analysis in which the objective is to establish a discriminate function. The function (typically a mathematical formula) discriminates between individuals in the population and allocates each of them to a group within the population. The function is established on the basis of a series of measurements or observations made on the individuals.
• economic a. — evaluation of the costs and benefits of a commercial enterprise that takes into account additional returns, returns no longer obtained, additional costs and costs no longer incurred, discounting of gains back to the time when the project began, and opportunity costs relating to potential profitability from alternative use of the investment.
• factor a. — a multivariate technique which analyzes the underlying structure of a set of data. It is useful in explaining observed relationships amongst a large number of variables in terms of simpler relations.
• guaranteed a. — declares the range within which nutrients occur in a manufactured animal food.
• multivariate a. — techniques for the study of simultaneous variation in a number of variables. Includes linear discriminant functions, cluster analysis and factor and principal component analysis.
• path a. — a statistical technique for testing a limited number of causal hypotheses, the causal relationships between variables, by manipulation of one or more of the variables and predicting the outcome.
• qualitative a. — determination of the nature of the constituents of a compound or mixture.
• quantitative a. — determination of the proportionate quantities of the constituents of a compound or mixture.
• regression a. — a general statistical technique that analyzes the relationship between a dependent (criterion) variable and a set of independent (predictor) variables.
• systems a. — analysis of the interaction of a system, e.g. a biological system, often for the purpose of analyzing the differences between systems. See also system.
• a. of variance — a statistical method for comparing variables by partitioning the variance of the observations between the effects of the different variables and comparing it with the underlying random variation.
• vector a. — analysis of a moving force to determine both its magnitude and its direction, e.g. analysis of the scalar electrocardiogram to determine the magnitude and direction of the electromotive force for one complete cycle of the heart.

The study of the form and structure of music.

Tutor's tip: You can improve yourself by making an "analysis" of facts, but it takes special training to know how to perform "analyses" on numbers or people.

Quotes:

"Happiness never lays its finger on its pulse." - Adam Smith

"He suffered from paralysis by analysis." - Saying

"Think as you work, for in the final analysis, your worth to your company comes not only in solving problems, but also in anticipating them." - Harold Wallace Ross

"The unlived life is not worth examining." - Tom Morris

"When I was research head of General Motors and wanted a problem solved, I'd place a table outside the meeting room with a sign: LEAVE SLIDE RULES HERE! If I didn't do that, I'd find some engineer reaching for his slide rule. Then he'd be on his feet saying, Boss you can't do that." - Charles F. Kettering

"Psychoanalysis is confession without absolution." - Gilbert K. Chesterton

See more famous quotes about Analysis

For other uses, see Analysis (disambiguation).

Contents 1 Use in specific fields 1.1 Chemistry 1.1.1 Isotopes 1.2 Business 1.3 Computer science 1.4 Economics 1.5 Engineering 1.6 Finance 1.7 Government and law 1.8 Intelligence 1.9 Linguistics 1.10 Literature 1.11 Mathematics 1.12 Music 1.13 Philosophy 1.14 Psychotherapy 1.15 Signal processing 1.16 Statistics 1.17 Other 2 See also 3 References

Look up Analysis or analysis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle, though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.

The word is a transcription of the ancient Greek Ανάλυσις (analusis), "a breaking up" (from ana- "up, throughout" + lysis "a loosening").^[1]

As a formal concept, the method has variously been ascribed to Ibn al-Haytham,^[2] René Descartes (Discourse on the Method) and Galileo Galilei. It has also been ascribed to Isaac Newton, in the form of a practical method of physical discovery (which he did not name or formally describe).

Use in specific fields

Chemistry

See also: Analytical chemistry and List of chemical analysis methods

The field of chemistry uses analysis to break down chemical processes and examine chemical reactions between elements of matter. For example, analysis of the concentration of elements is important in managing a nuclear reactor, so nuclear scientists will analyze [hbugbvhg hfh fhf hfyfhf yhfhfybcb xf s 6fxfgdsrs tdtd ytd[neutron activation analysis|neutron activation]] to develop discrete measurements within vast samples. A matrix can have a considerable effect on the way a chemical analysis is conducted and the quality of its results. Analysis can be done manually or with a device. Chemical analysis is an important element of national security among the major world powers with Materials Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) capabilities.

Isotopes

See also: Isotope analysis and Isotope geochemistry

Chemists can use isotopes to assist analysts with issues in anthropology, archeology, food chemistry, forensics, geology, and a host of other questions of physical science. Analysts can discern the origins of natural and man-made isotopes in the study of environmental radioactivity.

Business

• Business analysis, involves identifying the needs and determining the solutions to business problems
• Price Analysis, involves the breakdown of a price to a unit figure
• Market analysis, consists of suppliers and customers, and price is determined by the interaction of supply and demand

Computer science

• Analysis of algorithms
• Competitive analysis (online algorithm), shows how online algorithms perform and demonstrates the power of randomization in algorithms
• Lexical analysis, the process of processing an input sequence of characters and producing as output a sequence of symbols
• Object-oriented analysis and design, à la Booch
• Program analysis (computer science), the process of automatically analysing the behavior of computer programs
• Semantic analysis (computer science), a pass by a compiler that adds semantical information to the parse tree and performs certain checks
• Static code analysis, the analysis of computer software that is performed without actually executing programs built from that software
• Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology, à la Yourdon
• Syntax analysis, a process in compilers that recognizes the structure of programming languages, also known as parsing
• Worst-case execution time, determines the longest time that a piece of software can take to run

Economics

• Agroecosystem analysis
• Input-output model if applied to a region, is called Regional Impact Multiplier System
• Principal components analysis, a technique that can be used to simplify a dataset

Engineering

See also: Engineering analysis and Systems analysis

Analysts in the field of engineering look at structures, mechanisms, systems and dimensions. Electrical engineers analysis of systems in electronics. Life cycles and system failures are broken down and studied by engineers.

Finance

• Financial analysis, the analysis of the accounts and the economic prospects of a firm
• Fundamental analysis, a stock valuation method that uses financial analysis
• Technical analysis, the study of price action in securities markets in order to forecast future prices

Government and law

Policy analysis was defined by Stuart Nagel as "determining which of various alternative policies will most achieve a given set of goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals". This form of study is conducted most commonly by governments, but can be applied to the private sector as well.

In law, the IRAC format is the most commonly used method of legal analysis in briefs and other documents.

Intelligence

See also: Intelligence analysis

The field of intelligence employs analysts to break down and understand a wide array of questions. intelligence agencies may use heuristics, inductive and deductive reasoning, social network analysis, dynamic network analysis, link analysis, and brainstorming to sort through problems they face. Military intelligence may explore issues through the use of game theory, Red Teaming, and wargaming. Signals intelligence applies cryptanalysis and frequency analysis to break codes and ciphers. Business intelligence applies theories of competitive intelligence analysis and competitor analysis to resolve questions in the marketplace. Law enforcement intelligence applies a number of theories in crime analysis.

Linguistics

See also: Linguistics

Linguistics began with the analysis of Sanskrit and Tamil; today it looks at individual languages and language in general. It breaks language down and analyses its component parts: theory, sounds and their meaning, utterance usage, word origins, the history of words, the meaning of words and word combinations, sentence construction, basic construction beyond the sentence level, stylistics, and conversation. It examines the above using statistics and modeling, and semantics. It analyses language in context of anthropology, biology, evolution, geography, history, neurology, psychology, and sociology. It also takes the applied approach, looking at individual language development and clinical issues.

Literature

Literary theory is the analysis of literature. Some say that literary criticism is a subset of literary theory. The focus can be as diverse as the analysis of Homer or Freud. This is mainly to do with the breaking up of a topic to make it easier to understand.

Mathematics

Mathematical analysis can be applied in the study of classical concepts of real numbers, such as the complex variables, trigonometric functions, and algorithms, or of non-classical concepts like constructivism, harmonics, infinity, and vectors.

Music

• Musical analysis, a process attempting to answer the question "How does this music work?"
• Schenkerian analysis

Philosophy

• Philosophical analysis, a general term for the techniques used by philosophers
• Analysis is the name of a prominent journal in philosophy.

Psychotherapy

• Psychoanalysis, seeks to elucidate connections among unconscious components of patients' mental processes
• Transactional analysis

Signal processing

• Finite element analysis, a computer simulation technique used in engineering analysis
• Independent component analysis
• Link quality analysis, the analysis of signal quality
• Path quality analysis

Statistics

• Analysis of variance (ANOVA), a collection of statistical models and their associated procedures which compare means by splitting the overall observed variance into different parts
• Meta-analysis, combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses
• Time-series analysis, methods that attempt to understand a sequence of data points spaced apart at uniform time intervals

Other

• Aura analysis, a technique in which supporters of the method claim that the body's aura, or energy field is analysed
• Bowling analysis, a notation summarizing a cricket bowler's performance
• Lithic analysis, the analysis of stone tools using basic scientific techniques
• Protocol analysis, a means for extracting persons' thoughts while they are performing a task

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Analysis

• List of thinking-related topics
• Scientific method

References

1. ^ Online Etymology Dictioanry
2. ^ O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive .

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - analyse, bearbejdelse af analyseresultater

Nederlands (Dutch)
(psycho)analyse, statistieken (sport), uitslag van analyse

Français (French)
n. - analyse, (Ling) analyse logique, (fig) (en dernière) analyse

Deutsch (German)
n. - Analyse, Zergliederung, Untersuchung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ανάλυση, αναλυτική έκθεση, ψυχανάλυση

Italiano (Italian)
analisi, psicoanalisi

idioms:

• in the final analysis    in ultima analisi

Português (Portuguese)
n. - análise (f), decomposição (f), exame (m), diagnose (f) e tratamento (m) subseqüente883 (Psicol.), resultado (m)

idioms:

• in the final analysis    na análise final, no fim das contas

Русский (Russian)
анализ

idioms:

• in the final analysis    в конце концов

Español (Spanish)
n. - análisis, psicoanálisis

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - analys, undersökning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
分析, 解析, 分解, 精神分析

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 分析, 解析, 分解, 精神分析

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 분석 , 해부

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 分析, 分解, 分析結果, 精神分析

idioms:

• systems analysis    システム分析

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تحليل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ניתוח, ניתוח-נפש, בדיקה, אנליזה, פסיכואנליזה‬

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