Feature engineering
Feature engineering or feature extraction or feature discovery is the process of extracting features (characteristics, properties, attributes) from raw data. Due to deep learning networks, such as convolutional neural networks, that are able to learn it by itself, domain-specific- based feature engineering has become obsolete for vision and speech processing.
Other examples of features in physics include the construction of dimensionless numbers such as Reynolds number in fluid dynamics; then Nusselt number in heat transfer; Archimedes number in sedimentation; construction of first approximations of the solution such as analytical strength of materials solutions in mechanics, etc.