Which term describes the process that involves organizing a system into layers while considering the encapsulation of lower layers?

The term that best describes the process of organizing a system into layers while considering the encapsulation of lower layers is layering. This concept is fundamental in systems design and architecture, particularly in fields like computer networking and software development. Layering allows for a modular approach where each layer can operate independently while interacting with adjacent layers. This encapsulation helps manage complexity by hiding the details of the lower layers from higher levels, facilitating easier development, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

In contrast, modeling refers to the representation of a system or its processes, sampling involves selecting a subset of data for analysis, and quantizing is the process of constraining an input from a large set to output in a much smaller set, usually related to converting analog signals into digital form. Hence, these terms do not specifically reflect the structured, layered organization that is encapsulated in the concept of layering.