Homology Sphere
In algebraic topology, a homology sphere is an ''n''-manifold ''X'' having the homology groups of an ''n''-sphere, for some integer n\ge 1. That is, :H_0(X,\Z) = H_n(X,\Z) = \Z and :H_i(X,\Z) = \ for all other ''i''. Therefore ''X'' is a connected space, with one non-zero higher Betti number, namely, b_n=1. It does not follow that ''X'' is simply connected, only that its fundamental group is perfect (see Hurewicz theorem). A rational homology sphere is defined similarly but using homology with rational coefficients. Poincaré homology sphere The Poincaré homology sphere (also known as Poincaré dodecahedral space) is a particular example of a homology sphere, first constructed by Henri Poincaré. Being a spherical 3-manifold, it is the only homology 3-sphere (besides the 3-sphere itself) with a finite fundamental group. Its fundamental group is known as the binary icosahedral group and has order 120. Since the fundamental group of the 3-sphere is trivial, this sh ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Algebraic Topology
Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariant (mathematics), invariants that classification theorem, classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classify up to Homotopy#Homotopy equivalence and null-homotopy, homotopy equivalence. Although algebraic topology primarily uses algebra to study topological problems, using topology to solve algebraic problems is sometimes also possible. Algebraic topology, for example, allows for a convenient proof that any subgroup of a free group is again a free group. Main branches Below are some of the main areas studied in algebraic topology: Homotopy groups In mathematics, homotopy groups are used in algebraic topology to classify topological spaces. The first and simplest homotopy group is the fundamental group, which records information about loops in a space. Intuitively, homotopy groups record information ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Seifert–Weber Space
In mathematics, Seifert–Weber space (introduced by Herbert Seifert and Constantin Weber) is a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold. It is also known as Seifert–Weber dodecahedral space and hyperbolic dodecahedral space. It is one of the first discovered examples of closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds. It is constructed by gluing each face of a dodecahedron to its opposite in a way that produces a closed 3-manifold. There are three ways to do this gluing consistently. Opposite faces are misaligned by 1/10 of a turn, so to match them they must be rotated by 1/10, 3/10 or 5/10 turn; a rotation of 3/10 gives the Seifert–Weber space. Rotation of 1/10 gives the Poincaré homology sphere, and rotation by 5/10 gives 3-dimensional real projective space. With the 3/10-turn gluing pattern, the edges of the original dodecahedron are glued to each other in groups of five. Thus, in the Seifert–Weber space, each edge is surrounded by five pentagonal faces, and the dihedral angle between these pe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Trefoil Knot
In knot theory, a branch of mathematics, the trefoil knot is the simplest example of a nontrivial knot (mathematics), knot. The trefoil can be obtained by joining the two loose ends of a common overhand knot, resulting in a knotted loop (topology), loop. As the simplest knot, the trefoil is fundamental to the study of mathematical knot theory. The trefoil knot is named after the three-leaf clover (or trefoil) plant. Descriptions The trefoil knot can be defined as the curve obtained from the following parametric equations: :\begin x &= \sin t + 2 \sin 2t \\ y &= \cos t - 2 \cos 2t \\ z &= -\sin 3t \end The (2,3)-torus knot is also a trefoil knot. The following parametric equations give a (2,3)-torus knot lying on torus (r-2)^2+z^2 = 1: :\begin x &= (2+\cos 3t) \cos 2t \\ y &= (2+\cos 3t )\sin 2t \\ z &= \sin 3t \end Any continuous deformation of the curve above is also considered a trefoil knot. Specifically, any curve Homotopy#Isotopy, isotopic to a trefoil knot is also co ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dehn Surgery
In topology, a branch of mathematics, a Dehn surgery, named after Max Dehn, is a construction used to modify 3-manifolds. The process takes as input a 3-manifold together with a link. It is often conceptualized as two steps: ''drilling'' then ''filling''. Definitions * Given a 3-manifold M and a link L \subset M, the manifold M drilled along L is obtained by removing an open tubular neighborhood of L from M. If L = L_1\cup\dots\cup L_k , the drilled manifold has k torus boundary components T_1\cup\dots\cup T_k. The manifold ''M drilled along L'' is also known as the link complement, since if one removed the corresponding closed tubular neighborhood from M, one obtains a manifold diffeomorphic to M \setminus L. * Given a 3-manifold whose boundary is made of 2-tori T_1\cup\dots\cup T_k, we may glue in one solid torus by a homeomorphism (resp. diffeomorphism) of its boundary to each of the torus boundary components T_i of the original 3-manifold. There are many inequivalent way ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Embedding
In mathematics, an embedding (or imbedding) is one instance of some mathematical structure contained within another instance, such as a group (mathematics), group that is a subgroup. When some object X is said to be embedded in another object Y, the embedding is given by some Injective function, injective and structure-preserving map f:X\rightarrow Y. The precise meaning of "structure-preserving" depends on the kind of mathematical structure of which X and Y are instances. In the terminology of category theory, a structure-preserving map is called a morphism. The fact that a map f:X\rightarrow Y is an embedding is often indicated by the use of a "hooked arrow" (); thus: f : X \hookrightarrow Y. (On the other hand, this notation is sometimes reserved for inclusion maps.) Given X and Y, several different embeddings of X in Y may be possible. In many cases of interest there is a standard (or "canonical") embedding, like those of the natural numbers in the integers, the integers i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Double Covering Group
In mathematics, a covering group of a topological group ''H'' is a covering space ''G'' of ''H'' such that ''G'' is a topological group and the covering map is a continuous group homomorphism. The map ''p'' is called the covering homomorphism. A frequently occurring case is a double covering group, a topological double cover in which ''H'' has index 2 in ''G''; examples include the spin groups, pin groups, and metaplectic groups. Roughly explained, saying that for example the metaplectic group Mp2''n'' is a ''double cover'' of the symplectic group Sp2''n'' means that there are always two elements in the metaplectic group representing one element in the symplectic group. Properties Let ''G'' be a covering group of ''H''. The kernel ''K'' of the covering homomorphism is just the fiber over the identity in ''H'' and is a discrete normal subgroup of ''G''. The kernel ''K'' is closed in ''G'' if and only if ''G'' is Hausdorff (and if and only if ''H'' is Hausdorff). Going i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Homeomorphic
In mathematics and more specifically in topology, a homeomorphism ( from Greek roots meaning "similar shape", named by Henri Poincaré), also called 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. Very roughly speaking, a topological space is a geometric object, and a homeomorphism results from a continuous deformation 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 description can be misleading. Some continuous deformations do not produce homeomorphisms, such as the deformation of a li ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Quaternion
In mathematics, the quaternion number system extends the complex numbers. Quaternions were first described by the Irish mathematician William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 and applied to mechanics in three-dimensional space. The algebra of quaternions is often denoted by (for ''Hamilton''), or in blackboard bold by \mathbb H. Quaternions are not a field, because multiplication of quaternions is not, in general, commutative. Quaternions provide a definition of the quotient of two vectors in a three-dimensional space. Quaternions are generally represented in the form a + b\,\mathbf i + c\,\mathbf j +d\,\mathbf k, where the coefficients , , , are real numbers, and , are the ''basis vectors'' or ''basis elements''. Quaternions are used in pure mathematics, but also have practical uses in applied mathematics, particularly for calculations involving three-dimensional rotations, such as in three-dimensional computer graphics, computer vision, robotics, magnetic resonance i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Universal Cover
In topology, a covering or covering projection is a map between topological spaces that, intuitively, locally acts like a projection of multiple copies of a space onto itself. In particular, coverings are special types of local homeomorphisms. If p : \tilde X \to X is a covering, (\tilde X, p) is said to be a covering space or cover of X, and X is said to be the base of the covering, or simply the base. By abuse of terminology, \tilde X and p may sometimes be called covering spaces as well. Since coverings are local homeomorphisms, a covering space is a special kind of étalé space. Covering spaces first arose in the context of complex analysis (specifically, the technique of analytic continuation), where they were introduced by Riemann as domains on which naturally multivalued complex functions become single-valued. These spaces are now called Riemann surfaces. Covering spaces are an important tool in several areas of mathematics. In modern geometry, covering spaces ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alternating Group
In mathematics, an alternating group is the Group (mathematics), group of even permutations of a finite set. The alternating group on a set of elements is called the alternating group of degree , or the alternating group on letters and denoted by or Basic properties For , the group A''n'' is the commutator subgroup of the symmetric group S''n'' with Index of a subgroup, index 2 and has therefore factorial, ''n''!/2 elements. It is the kernel (algebra), kernel of the signature group homomorphism explained under symmetric group. The group A''n'' is abelian group, abelian if and only if and simple group, simple if and only if or . A5 is the smallest non-abelian simple group, having order of a group, order 60, and thus the smallest non-solvable group. The group A4 has the Klein four-group V as a proper normal subgroup, namely the identity and the double transpositions , that is the kernel of the surjection of A4 onto . We have the exact sequence . In Galois theory, this m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Icosahedron
In geometry, an icosahedron ( or ) is a polyhedron with 20 faces. The name comes . The plural can be either "icosahedra" () or "icosahedrons". There are infinitely many non- similar shapes of icosahedra, some of them being more symmetrical than others. The best known is the ( convex, non- stellated) regular icosahedron—one of the Platonic solids—whose faces are 20 equilateral triangles. Regular icosahedra There are two objects, one convex and one nonconvex, that can both be called regular icosahedra. Each has 30 edges and 20 equilateral triangle faces with five meeting at each of its twelve vertices. Both have icosahedral symmetry. The term "regular icosahedron" generally refers to the convex variety, while the nonconvex form is called a ''great icosahedron''. Convex regular icosahedron The convex regular icosahedron is usually referred to simply as the ''regular icosahedron'', one of the five regular Platonic solids, and is represented by its Schläfli symbol , contai ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Symmetry Group
In group theory, the symmetry group of a geometric object is the group of all transformations under which the object is invariant, endowed with the group operation of composition. Such a transformation is an invertible mapping of the ambient space which takes the object to itself, and which preserves all the relevant structure of the object. A frequent notation for the symmetry group of an object ''X'' is ''G'' = Sym(''X''). For an object in a metric space, its symmetries form a subgroup of the isometry group of the ambient space. This article mainly considers symmetry groups in Euclidean geometry, but the concept may also be studied for more general types of geometric structure. Introduction We consider the "objects" possessing symmetry to be geometric figures, images, and patterns, such as a wallpaper pattern. For symmetry of physical objects, one may also take their physical composition as part of the pattern. (A pattern may be specified formally as a scalar field, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |