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Gauss Linking Integral
In mathematics, the linking number is a numerical invariant that describes the linking of two closed curves in three-dimensional space. Intuitively, the linking number represents the number of times that each curve winds around the other. In Euclidean space, the linking number is always an integer, but may be positive or negative depending on the orientation of the two curves (this is not true for curves in most 3-manifolds, where linking numbers can also be fractions or just not exist at all). The linking number was introduced by Gauss in the form of the linking integral. It is an important object of study in knot theory, algebraic topology, and differential geometry, and has numerous applications in mathematics and science, including quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and the study of DNA supercoiling. Definition Any two closed curves in space, if allowed to pass through themselves but not each other, can be moved into exactly one of the following standard positions. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homotopy
In topology, a branch of mathematics, two continuous functions from one topological space to another are called homotopic (from grc, ὁμός "same, similar" and "place") if one can be "continuously deformed" into the other, such a deformation being called a homotopy (, ; , ) between the two functions. A notable use of homotopy is the definition of homotopy groups and cohomotopy groups, important invariants in algebraic topology. In practice, there are technical difficulties in using homotopies with certain spaces. Algebraic topologists work with compactly generated spaces, CW complexes, or spectra. Formal definition Formally, a homotopy between two continuous functions ''f'' and ''g'' from a topological space ''X'' to a topological space ''Y'' is defined to be a continuous function H: X \times ,1\to Y from the product of the space ''X'' with the unit interval , 1to ''Y'' such that H(x,0) = f(x) and H(x,1) = g(x) for all x \in X. If we think of the second ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seifert–Van Kampen Theorem
In mathematics, the Seifert–Van Kampen theorem of algebraic topology (named after Herbert Seifert and Egbert van Kampen), sometimes just called Van Kampen's theorem, expresses the structure of the fundamental group of a topological space X in terms of the fundamental groups of two open, path-connected subspaces that cover X. It can therefore be used for computations of the fundamental group of spaces that are constructed out of simpler ones. Van Kampen's theorem for fundamental groups Let ''X'' be a topological space which is the union of two open and path connected subspaces ''U''1, ''U''2. Suppose ''U''1 ∩ ''U''2 is path connected and nonempty, and let ''x''0 be a point in ''U''1 ∩ ''U''2 that will be used as the base of all fundamental groups. The inclusion maps of ''U''1 and ''U''2 into ''X'' induce group homomorphisms j_1:\pi_1(U_1,x_0)\to \pi_1(X,x_0) and j_2:\pi_1(U_2,x_0)\to \pi_1(X,x_0). Then ''X'' is path connected and j_1 and j_2 form a commutative pushout dia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fundamental Group
In the mathematical field of algebraic topology, the fundamental group of a topological space is the group of the equivalence classes under homotopy of the loops contained in the space. It records information about the basic shape, or holes, of the topological space. The fundamental group is the first and simplest homotopy group. The fundamental group is a homotopy invariant—topological spaces that are homotopy equivalent (or the stronger case of homeomorphic) have isomorphic fundamental groups. The fundamental group of a topological space X is denoted by \pi_1(X). Intuition Start with a space (for example, a surface), and some point in it, and all the loops both starting and ending at this point— paths that start at this point, wander around and eventually return to the starting point. Two loops can be combined in an obvious way: travel along the first loop, then along the second. Two loops are considered equivalent if one can be deformed into the other without breakin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homeomorphic
In the mathematical field of topology, a homeomorphism, topological isomorphism, or bicontinuous function is a bijective and continuous function between topological spaces that has a continuous inverse function. Homeomorphisms are the isomorphisms in the category of topological spaces—that is, they are the mappings that preserve all the topological properties of a given space. Two spaces with a homeomorphism between them are called homeomorphic, and from a topological viewpoint they are the same. The word ''homeomorphism'' comes from the Greek words '' ὅμοιος'' (''homoios'') = similar or same and '' μορφή'' (''morphē'') = shape or form, introduced to mathematics by Henri Poincaré in 1895. Very roughly speaking, a topological space is a geometric object, and the homeomorphism is a continuous stretching and bending of the object into a new shape. Thus, a square and a circle are homeomorphic to each other, but a sphere and a torus are not. However, this descr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
H-principle
In mathematics, the homotopy principle (or h-principle) is a very general way to solve partial differential equations (PDEs), and more generally partial differential relations (PDRs). The h-principle is good for underdetermined PDEs or PDRs, such as the immersion problem, isometric immersion problem, fluid dynamics, and other areas. The theory was started by Yakov Eliashberg, Mikhail Gromov and Anthony V. Phillips. It was based on earlier results that reduced partial differential relations to homotopy, particularly for immersions. The first evidence of h-principle appeared in the Whitney–Graustein theorem. This was followed by the Nash–Kuiper isometric ''C''1 embedding theorem and the Smale–Hirsch immersion theorem. Rough idea Assume we want to find a function ''ƒ'' on R''m'' which satisfies a partial differential equation of degree ''k'', in co-ordinates (u_1,u_2,\dots,u_m). One can rewrite it as :\Psi(u_1,u_2,\dots,u_m, J^k_f)=0 where J^k_f stands for all parti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Immersion (mathematics)
In mathematics, an immersion is a differentiable function between differentiable manifolds whose differential (or pushforward) is everywhere injective. Explicitly, is an immersion if :D_pf : T_p M \to T_N\, is an injective function at every point ''p'' of ''M'' (where ''TpX'' denotes the tangent space of a manifold ''X'' at a point ''p'' in ''X''). Equivalently, ''f'' is an immersion if its derivative has constant rank equal to the dimension of ''M'': :\operatorname\,D_p f = \dim M. The function ''f'' itself need not be injective, only its derivative must be. A related concept is that of an embedding. A smooth embedding is an injective immersion that is also a topological embedding, so that ''M'' is diffeomorphic to its image in ''N''. An immersion is precisely a local embedding – that is, for any point there is a neighbourhood, , of ''x'' such that is an embedding, and conversely a local embedding is an immersion. For infinite dimensional manifolds, this is sometimes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regular Homotopy
In the mathematical field of topology, a regular homotopy refers to a special kind of homotopy between immersions of one manifold in another. The homotopy must be a 1-parameter family of immersions. Similar to homotopy classes, one defines two immersions to be in the same regular homotopy class if there exists a regular homotopy between them. Regular homotopy for immersions is similar to isotopy of embeddings: they are both restricted types of homotopies. Stated another way, two continuous functions f,g : M \to N are homotopic if they represent points in the same path-components of the mapping space C(M, N), given the compact-open topology. The space of immersions is the subspace of C(M, N) consisting of immersions, denoted by \operatorname(M, N). Two immersions f, g: M \to N are regularly homotopic if they represent points in the same path-component of \operatorname(M,N). Examples Any two knots in 3-space are equivalent by regular homotopy, though not by isotopy. The Whitney– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
