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
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.
hairy ball theoremnoun
A theorem stating that there is no nonvanishing continuous tangent vector field on the sphere.
Wikidata
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.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of hairy ball theorem in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of hairy ball theorem in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Translations for hairy ball theorem
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- teorema della palla pelosaItalian
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"hairy ball theorem." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 13 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/hairy+ball+theorem>.
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