topology

noun

to·​pol·​o·​gy tə-ˈpä-lə-jē How to pronounce topology (audio)
tä-
plural topologies
1
: topographic study of a particular place
specifically : the history of a region as indicated by its topography
2
a(1)
: a branch of mathematics concerned with those properties of geometric configurations (such as point sets) which are unaltered by elastic deformations (such as a stretching or a twisting) that are homeomorphisms
(2)
: the set of all open subsets of a topological space
b
: configuration
topology of a molecule
topology of a magnetic field
topologist noun

Examples of topology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Although these questions seem to fit snugly within the confines of geometry as it’s taught in high school, attempts to solve them have required some of the world’s foremost mathematicians to bring in ideas from disparate fields including dynamical systems, topology and differential geometry. Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Analytical techniques from topology can help scientists identify similarities between sets of data despite any seeming differences. IEEE Spectrum, 3 Dec. 2023 The Mandelbrot set is deeply related not just to dynamics, but also to number theory, topology, algebraic geometry, group theory and even physics. Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Just as the tops of these trees would reflect the topology of the ground, the tops of these columnar thin films replicate the 3D structure of the fingermarks on which they are deposited. Partha Banerjee, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2024 Well, there’s a tool that’s a backbone of computational topology. Rachel Crowell, Quanta Magazine, 1 Mar. 2023 The scoring system defined it as: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack, but the attack is limited at the protocol level to a logically adjacent topology. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 5 Jan. 2024 Employing insights from topology, researchers developed the first electronic topological insulators in 2007. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2022 This diagram maps out the CAN topology for the RAV4: Diagram showing the CAN topology of the RAV4. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'topology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of topology was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near topology

Cite this Entry

“Topology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topology. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

topology

noun
to·​pol·​o·​gy tə-ˈpäl-ə-jē How to pronounce topology (audio)
: a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometric figures that do not change when the figure is twisted or stretched in certain ways
topological
ˌtäp-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl
ˌtōp-
adjective
topologist noun

Medical Definition

topology

noun
to·​pol·​o·​gy tə-ˈpäl-ə-jē, tä- How to pronounce topology (audio)
plural topologies
1
2
: configuration sense 1
the topology of a molecule
topological adjective
also topologic

More from Merriam-Webster on topology

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