What is the term for the shortened representation of an IPv6 address?

The correct term for the shortened representation of an IPv6 address is commonly referred to as "abbreviation." In the context of IPv6, this abbreviation process involves eliminating leading zeros in each block of the address and replacing consecutive sections of zeros with a double colon (::) for simplification. For instance, the IPv6 address 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:ff00:0042:8329 can be abbreviated to 2001:db8::ff00:42:8329. This makes the address easier to read and write without losing any information or functionality.

While other terms might have specific applications in networking, they do not accurately describe the process used for IPv6 address representation. "Alias," for instance, typically refers to an alternative name for a network resource, and "compact form" is not a standard term recognized in the context of IPv6 address representation. "Encapsulation" describes a different concept where one protocol is contained within another for transmission, which is also unrelated to the simplification of address notation. Thus, "abbreviation" is the most accurate term for this specific context.