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Homeomorphic


There are two possible definitions:

1. Possessing similarity of form,

2. Continuous, one-to-one, in surjection, and having a continuous inverse.

The most common meaning is possessing intrinsic topological equivalence. Two objects are homeomorphic if they can be deformed into each other by a continuous, invertible mapping. Such a homeomorphism ignores the space in which surfaces are embedded, so the deformation can be completed in a higher dimensional space than the surface was originally embedded. Mirror images are homeomorphic, as are Möbius strip with an even number of half-twists, and Möbius strip with an odd number of half-twists.

In category theory terms, homeomorphisms are isomorphisms in the category of topological spaces and continuous maps.


See also

Homeomorphism, Homomorphic, Isogeny, Polish Space

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References

Krantz, S. G. "The Concept of Homeomorphism." §6.4.1 in Handbook of Complex Variables. Boston, MA: Birkhäuser, p. 86, 1999.

Referenced on Wolfram|Alpha

Homeomorphic

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Homeomorphic." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Homeomorphic.html

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