VANKAMPEN Meaning and
Definition
-
Vankampen is a term commonly used in mathematics, specifically in the field of algebraic topology. It refers to a fundamental concept known as the Van Kampen theorem, which has applications in the study of the fundamental group of topological spaces.
The Van Kampen theorem states that if a topological space, often denoted as X, can be expressed as the union of two open sets, denoted as A and B, then the fundamental group of X can be obtained by combining the fundamental groups of A and B with respect to their intersection. In other words, the fundamental group of X can be computed by using the group-theoretic operations of free product with amalgamation and presentation.
This theorem provides a powerful tool for determining the fundamental group of complicated topological spaces, by breaking them down into simpler components and analyzing their fundamental groups separately.
The term "Vankampen" is commonly used as a noun to refer to the concept of the Van Kampen theorem itself, or as a verb to describe the process of applying the Van Kampen theorem to compute the fundamental group of a given space. It is named after the Dutch mathematician Pieter Hendrik Schoute van Kampen, who developed this result in 1933.
Overall, the term "vankampen" refers to a significant theorem and method used in algebraic topology to understand the fundamental group of topological spaces.
Similar spelling word for VANKAMPEN
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
