homology
the state of being homologous; homologous relation or correspondence.
Biology.
a fundamental similarity based on common descent.
a structural similarity of two segments of one animal based on a common developmental origin.
Chemistry. the similarity of organic compounds of a series in which each member differs from its adjacent compounds by a fixed increment, as by CH2.
Mathematics. a classification of figures according to certain topological properties.
Origin of homology
1Words Nearby homology
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use homology in a sentence
To find all the types of holes within a particular topological shape, mathematicians build something called a chain complex, which forms the scaffolding of homology.
How Mathematicians Use Homology to Make Sense of Topology | Kelsey Houston-Edwards | May 11, 2021 | Quanta MagazineSo instead, homology infers an object’s holes from its boundaries, a more precise mathematical concept.
How Mathematicians Use Homology to Make Sense of Topology | Kelsey Houston-Edwards | May 11, 2021 | Quanta MagazineMathematicians extract a shape’s homology from its chain complex, which provides structured data about the shape’s component parts and their boundaries — exactly what you need to describe holes in every dimension.
How Mathematicians Use Homology to Make Sense of Topology | Kelsey Houston-Edwards | May 11, 2021 | Quanta MagazineThe idea was to take the idea of homology—similarity due to shared evolutionary history—and build a predictive model of plant variation.
The Botanist Who Defied Stalin - Issue 99: Universality | Lee Alan Dugatkin | April 21, 2021 | NautilusThe modern definition of homology is quite involved, but it is roughly a means of associating to each shape a certain mathematical object.
homology is still determined by position, by connections, in the embryo as in the adult.
Form and Function | E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell
British Dictionary definitions for homology
/ (həʊˈmɒlədʒɪ) /
the condition of being homologous
chem the similarities in chemical behaviour shown by members of a homologous series
zoology the measurable likenesses between animals, as used in grouping them according to the theory of cladistics
Origin of homology
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for homology
[ hə-mŏl′ə-jē ]
A homologous relationship or correspondence.
The relation of the chemical elements of a periodic family or group.
The relation of the organic compounds forming a homologous series.
A topological classification of configurations into distinct types that imposes an algebraic structure or hierarchy on families of geometric figures.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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