ABSTRACT
The science of microbiology and the sterilization process
often involve several interrelated variables, each of
which operates under a unique set of circumstances.
Over the years, patterns of response have been noted
in many of the more routine processes, and scientists,
together with mathematicians, have developed math-
ematical relations for some of these activities, primarily
as a mechanism for the analytical determination of
sterilization values. The object of this chapter is to help
clarify the often complicated circumstances involved
with the sterilization process, and to condense these
variables into terminology that will allow us to use
them for comparison against each other or against
predetermined limits of acceptance.
