Abstraction in mathematics is the process of extracting the underlying essence of a mathematical concept , removing any dependence on real-world objects with which it might originally have been connected , and generalizing it so that it has wider applications or matching among other abstract descriptions of equivalent phenomena . Abstraction in mathematics is the process of extracting the underlying essence of a mathematical concept , removing any dependence on real world objects with which it might originally have been connected , and generalizing it so that it has wider applications or matching among other abstract descriptions of equivalent phenomena .