elliptic geometry
- noun
- /ɪˈlɪptɪk dʒiˈɒmɪtri/
- Specialized
:
geometría elíptica
- In elliptic geometry, the sum of angles in a triangle exceeds 180 degrees.
Examples
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In elliptic geometry, there are no parallel lines as in Euclidean geometry.
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In elliptic geometry, the shortest distance between two points is along a great circle.
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Advanced mathematics courses often cover topics like elliptic geometry and hyperbolic spaces.
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Bernhard Riemann made groundbreaking contributions to elliptic geometry.
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Many mathematicians study elliptic geometries for their unique properties.
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Many mathematicians explore elliptic geometry to understand the properties of spherical shapes.
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An important aspect of elliptic geometry is that it allows for the existence of triangles with angle sums greater than 180 degrees.
Synonyms
A way to study curved space, like a sphere, where straight lines are like great circles
Study of points, lines, and shapes on the surface of a sphere, like the Earth
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'elliptic' (relating to an ellipse/oval) and 'geometry' (study of shapes) give a clear cue that this is a kind of geometry concerned with ellipse-like properties, so learners can form a partial, surface-level guess. However, the term is a technical, specialized concept (a non-Euclidean, sphere-analogous geometry where 'lines' are great circles) that cannot be fully derived from the basic word meanings, so it is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Elliptic geometry makes you think of shapes on a ball or globe. On a globe, the shortest 'straight' paths are large circles that always meet, so there are no 'parallel lines', and that's why elliptic geometry means the kind of geometry where lines behave this way.
