Polarization or polarisation may refer to: Mathematics Polarization of an Abelian variety, in the mathematics of complex manifolds Polarization of an algebraic form, a technique for expressing a homogeneous polynomial in a simpler fashion by adjoining more variables Polarization identity, expresses an inner product in terms of its associated norm Polarization (Lie algebra) Physical sciences Polarization (waves), the ability of waves to oscillate in more than one direction, in particular polarization of light, responsible for example for the glare-reducing effect of polarized sunglasses Polarization (antenna), the state of polarization (in the above sense) of electromagnetic waves transmitted by or received by a radio antenna Dielectric polarization, charge separation in insulating materials: Polarization density, volume dielectric polarization Dipolar polarization, orientation of permanent dipoles Ionic polarization, displacement of ions in a crystal Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars polarization, slow long-distance charge separation in dielectric spectroscopy on inhomogeneous soft matter Polarization (electrochemistry), a change in the equilibrium potential of an electrochemical reaction Concentration polarization, the shift of the electrochemical potential difference across an electrochemical cell from its equilibrium value Spin polarization, the degree by which the spin of elementary particles is aligned to a given direction Polarizability, an electrical property of atoms or molecules and a separate magnetic property of subatomic particles Polarization function, a feature of some molecular modelling methods Photon polarization, the mathematical link between wave polarization and spin polarization Vacuum polarization, a process in which a background electromagnetic field produces virtual electron-positron pairs Social sciences Polarization (economics), faster decrease of moderate-skill jobs relative to low-skill and high-skill jobs Political polarization, when public opinion divides and becomes oppositional Social polarization, segregation of society into social groups, from high-income to low-income Group polarization, tendency of a group to make more extreme decisions than individuals' initial inclinations Attitude polarization, when disagreement becomes more extreme as different parties consider evidence Racial polarization, when a population with varying ancestry is divided into distinct racial groups Others Polarization (album), an album by American jazz trombonist and composer Julian Priester Polarization, in many disciplines, is a tendency to be located close to one of the opposite ends of a continuum See also Polar (disambiguation) Polar opposite (disambiguation) Polarity (disambiguation) Pole (disambiguation) Reversal (disambiguation)