topology

3 definitions found

topology - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Topology \To*pol"o*gy\, n. [Gr. ? place + -logy.]
     The art of, or method for, assisting the memory by
     associating the thing or subject to be remembered with some
     place. [R.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     2. a branch of mathematics which studies the properties of
        geometrical forms which retain their identity under
        certain transformations, such as stretching or twisting,
        which are homeomorphic. See also topologist.
        [PJC]
  
     3. configuration, especially in three dimensions; -- used, e.
        g. of the configurations taken by macromolecules, such as
        superhelical DNA.
        [PJC]

topology - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  topology
      n 1: topographic study of a given place (especially the history
           of the place as indicated by its topography); "Greenland's
           topology has been shaped by the glaciers of the ice age"
      2: the study of anatomy based on regions or divisions of the
         body and emphasizing the relations between various structures
         (muscles and nerves and arteries etc.) in that region [syn:
         regional anatomy, topographic anatomy, topology]
      3: the branch of pure mathematics that deals only with the
         properties of a figure X that hold for every figure into
         which X can be transformed with a one-to-one correspondence
         that is continuous in both directions [syn: topology,
         analysis situs]
      4: the configuration of a communication network [syn:
         topology, network topology]

topology - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  topology
  
     1. <mathematics> The branch of mathematics dealing with
     continuous transformations.
  
     2. <networking> Which hosts are directly connected to which
     other hosts in a network.  Network layer processes need to
     consider the current network topology to be able to route
     packets to their final destination reliably and efficiently.
  
     (2001-03-29)