What does hairy ball theorem mean?

Definitions for hairy ball theorem
ha·i·ry ball the·o·rem

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word hairy ball theorem.

Wiktionary

  1. hairy ball theoremnoun

    A theorem stating that, given a sphere covered in fur, one cannot brush all the hairs flat without creating at least two whirls.

  2. hairy ball theoremnoun

    A theorem stating that there is no nonvanishing continuous tangent vector field on the sphere.

Wikidata

  1. Hairy ball theorem

    The hairy ball theorem of algebraic topology states that there is no nonvanishing continuous tangent vector field on even dimensional n-spheres. For the ordinary sphere, or 2‑sphere, if f is a continuous function that assigns a vector in R³ to every point p on a sphere such that f is always tangent to the sphere at p, then there is at least one p such that f = 0. In other words, whenever one attempts to comb a hairy ball flat, there will always be at least one tuft of hair at one point on the ball. The theorem was first stated by Henri Poincaré in the late 19th century. This is famously stated as "you can't comb a hairy ball flat without creating a cowlick", or sometimes "you can't comb the hair on a coconut". It was first proved in 1912 by Brouwer.

How to pronounce hairy ball theorem?

How to say hairy ball theorem in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of hairy ball theorem in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of hairy ball theorem in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1


Translations for hairy ball theorem

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for hairy ball theorem »

Translation

Find a translation for the hairy ball theorem definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"hairy ball theorem." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/hairy+ball+theorem>.

Discuss these hairy ball theorem definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for hairy ball theorem? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    hairy ball theorem

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    indecision in speech or action
    A nitrile
    B wavering
    C reciprocal
    D sweep

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for hairy ball theorem: