Amplitude modulation (AM) is the process of modifying the amplitude of the signal so that it is proportional to the amplitude of the carrier wave. It is typically used to transmit information in the form of electromagnetic waves.
The modulated wave then needs to be demodulated on the receiving end in order to extract the transmitted information. This process is known as AM demodulation.
Devices used for AM demodulation are diode rectifier envelope detector (uses a diode and some other electronic components), product detector (mixes/multiplies the modulated wave and a local oscillator), and synchronous detectors (mixes the signal with an un-modulated carrier).