homeomorphism

[ hoh-mee-uh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun

1. similarity in crystalline form but not necessarily in chemical composition.
2. Mathematics. a function between two topological spaces that is continuous, one-to-one, and onto, and the inverse of which is continuous.

homeomorphism

/ ˌhəʊmɪəˈmɔːfɪzəm /

noun

1. the property, shown by certain chemical compounds, of having the same crystal form but different chemical composition
2. maths a one-to-one correspondence, continuous in both directions, between the points of two geometric figures or between two topological spaces

homeomorphism

/ hō′mē-ə-môr′fĭz′əm /

1. A close similarity in the crystal forms of unlike compounds.
2. A one-to-one correspondence between the points of two geometric figures such that open sets in the first geometric figure correspond to open sets in the second figure and conversely. If one figure can be transformed into another without tearing or folding, there exists a homeomorphism between them. Topological properties are defined on the basis of homeomorphisms.

Derived Forms

• ˌhomeoˈmorphic, adjective

Other Words From

• home·o·morphic home·o·morphous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of homeomorphism¹

First recorded in 1850–55; homeomorph + -ism