topology

[ tuh-pol-uh-jee ]
See synonyms for topology on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural to·pol·o·gies for 3. Mathematics.
  1. the study of those properties of geometric forms that remain invariant under certain transformations, as bending or stretching.

  2. Also called point set to·pol·o·gy . the study of limits in sets considered as collections of points.

  1. a collection of open sets making a given set a topological space.

Origin of topology

1
First recorded in 1650–60; topo- + -logy
  • Rarely a·nal·y·sis si·tus [uh-nal-uh-sis sahy-tuhs, see-] /əˈnæl ə sɪs ˈsaɪ təs, ˈsi-/ (for defs. 1, 2) .

Other words from topology

  • top·o·log·ic [top-uh-loj-ik], /ˌtɒp əˈlɒdʒ ɪk/, top·o·log·i·cal, adjective
  • top·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • to·pol·o·gist, noun

Words Nearby topology

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use topology in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for topology

topology

/ (təˈpɒlədʒɪ) /


noun
  1. the branch of mathematics concerned with generalization of the concepts of continuity, limit, etc

  2. a branch of geometry describing the properties of a figure that are unaffected by continuous distortion, such as stretching or knotting: Former name: analysis situs

  1. maths a family of subsets of a given set S, such that S is a topological space

  2. the arrangement and interlinking of computers in a computer network

  3. the study of the topography of a given place, esp as far as it reflects its history

  4. the anatomy of any specific bodily area, structure, or part

Derived forms of topology

  • topologic (ˌtɒpəˈlɒdʒɪk) or topological, adjective
  • topologically, adverb
  • topologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for topology

topology

[ tə-pŏlə-jē ]


  1. The mathematical study of the geometric properties that are not normally affected by changes in the size or shape of geometric figures. In topology, a donut and a coffee cup with a handle are equivalent shapes, because each has a single hole.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.