Poincaré conjecture

American  

[pwahn-kah-rey kuhn-jek-cher] / pwɑn kɑˈreɪ kənˌdʒɛk tʃər /

noun

1. Mathematics. the question of whether a compact, simply connected three-dimensional manifold is topologically equivalent to a three-dimensional sphere.

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Etymology

Origin of Poincaré conjecture

Named after J. H. Poincaré

Example Sentences

It ends with a twist: Yau does not believe that the Poincaré conjecture — the most important question in topology in the twenty-first century — has truly been settled.

From Nature • Mar. 12, 2019

All of a sudden you’re contemplating the Poincaré conjecture, the most important mathematical breakthrough of the current century to date.

From Scientific American • Oct. 7, 2017

Poincaré’s discovery of a homology sphere led him to refine his conjecture to what is now known as the Poincaré conjecture.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2017

The Poincaré conjecture was one of the most important unsolved conjectures In 2006, this conjecture was finally proved, with Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman putting the finishing touches on the proof.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2017

Two years later, a Russian mathematician, Grigori Perelman, proved the Poincaré conjecture, which people had been working on for 98 years.

From The Guardian • Jul. 16, 2010