Topology: the Mathematics of Form - Research Article from Science and Its Times

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 5 pages of information about Topology.

Topology: the Mathematics of Form - Research Article from Science and Its Times

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 5 pages of information about Topology.
This section contains 1,299 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Topology: the Mathematics of Form Encyclopedia Article

Overview

Mathematics began in earliest times as a collection of practical methods for counting and measuring. In the nineteenth century a branch of geometry arose in which sizes and distances were irrelevant. Topology, sometimes called "rubber sheet geometry," deals with properties that remain the same when an object is bent or stretched. These properties include the number of times a curve intersects itself and whether a surface is open or closed.

Background

During the lifetime of the famous Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), there were seven bridges in the Prussian town of Königsberg, where two branches of the River Pregel flowed around an island. The townspeople amused themselves by considering whether it was possible to cross all seven bridges in one continuous trip without re-crossing any of them. Eventually the so-called Königsberg Bridge Problem became a well-known puzzle...

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This section contains 1,299 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Topology: the Mathematics of Form Encyclopedia Article
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Topology: the Mathematics of Form from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.