wedge sum
- noun
- Specialized
:
suma en cuña
- The wedge sum of two circles looks like a figure-eight.
Examples
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When considering homotopy groups, the wedge sum can simplify many calculations.
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We studied the wedge sums in our topology class.
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In algebraic topology, the wedge sum is frequently used to study spaces built from simpler components.
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The wedge sum of two spaces can be visualized easily.
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In algebraic topology, the wedge sum is frequently used to study spaces built from simpler components.
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The wedge sum of two circles looks like a figure-eight.
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When considering homotopy groups, the wedge sum can simplify many calculations.
Surface Forms
Morphology
wedge + sum
The components 'wedge' (suggesting a joining or inserted piece) and 'sum' (a combining or union) give a partial cue that this is a way of combining spaces, so a learner might infer some kind of joining. However, the precise topological meaning — joining a family of spaces at a single common point — is a technical, domain-specific sense that is not fully predictable from the everyday meanings, so the expression is only partly transparent.
Etymology
Wedge sum paints a simple picture: wedge suggests pieces meeting at a point and sum means adding them, so imagine several shapes glued together at one point, like two circles making a figure-eight. That's why the term means 'many spaces joined at a single point'.
