Topology

How to spell topology

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce topology

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does topology mean?

1. nounThe branch of mathematics concerned with properties of shapes and spaces that are preserved under continuous deformation such as stretching and bending.
2. nounThe physical or logical arrangement of the connected parts of a network or system.

Topology in a sentence

• The lecturer explained how topology treats a coffee cup and a doughnut as equivalent shapes.

• The engineer mapped the network topology before adding the new servers.

• Her doctoral research applied topology to the study of knotted curves.

• A star topology routes every device through a single central hub.

Where does topology come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word is built from two Greek pieces: topos, meaning 'place' or 'position', and the familiar ending -logia, meaning 'the study or science of'. It was coined in the nineteenth century as mathematicians needed a name for the study of properties of shapes that survive stretching and bending, the qualities of a figure that depend on connection and position rather than on exact measurement. The German form Topologie appeared in print in the 1840s and passed into English soon after, so although the roots are Greek the word itself is a modern scientific invention rather than an ancient one. The same topos root sits inside 'topography' (writing about places) and 'topic' (originally a 'place' in an argument), which is a useful reminder that the first o is followed by a single p, not a double one. Because the -logy ending is so common in English (biology, geology), the spelling is fairly predictable once you fix the topo- opening.

How the word is built

• topo- (from Greek topos: place)
• -logy (study of)