Transformations in SVG allow you to manipulate an SVG element in a variety of ways, including scaling, rotating, skewing, and translating (which looks like moving the element, but isn't exactly that). Using transformations allows you to manipulate the SVG without changing its intrinsic values (for example, height, width, x, and y) which is important when you're manipulating elements in a dynamic way.
This section will introduce you to the common transformation functions one by one, with examples of each.