topology
noun
to·pol·o·gy
tə-ˈpä-lə-jē 
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
Examples of topology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All the basic theorems of undergraduate mathematics, such as calculus and topology, and so forth, have one by one been put in this library.
—
Christoph Drösser, Scientific American, 8 June 2024
Bill Thurston was a mathematician who turned the subject of three-dimensional topology upside down.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 May 2024
In this sense, paradoxically, cylinders are not intrinsically curved, though spheres are.
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Introduction
This number also helps mathematicians draw conclusions about the space’s topology.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2024
At first glance, topology would seem to be a poor fit for the problem of polling site placement.
—Lyndie Chiou, WIRED, 21 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for topology 
Christoph Drösser, Scientific American, 8 June 2024
Bill Thurston was a mathematician who turned the subject of three-dimensional topology upside down.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 May 2024
In this sense, paradoxically, cylinders are not intrinsically curved, though spheres are.
Share this article
Newsletter
Get Quanta Magazine delivered to your inbox
Recent newsletters
Introduction
This number also helps mathematicians draw conclusions about the space’s topology.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2024
At first glance, topology would seem to be a poor fit for the problem of polling site placement.
—Lyndie Chiou, WIRED, 21 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for topology
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.
Dictionary Entries Near topology
Cite this Entry
“Topology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topology. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
topology
noun
to·pol·o·gy
tə-ˈpäl-ə-jē
: 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
adjective
ˌtäp-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl
ˌtōp-
Medical Definition
topology
noun
to·pol·o·gy
tə-ˈpäl-ə-jē, tä-
plural topologies
1
2
: configuration sense 1
the topology of a molecule
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