Mathematics
In mathematics, especially in geometry and topology, an ambient space is the space surrounding a mathematical object. For example, a line may be studied in isolation, or it may be studied as an object in two-dimensional space — in which case the ambient space is the plane, or as an object in three-dimensional space — in which case the ambient space is three-dimensional. To see why this makes a difference, consider the statement "Lines that never meet are necessarily parallel." This is true if the ambient space is two-dimensional, but false if the ambient space is three-dimensional, because in the latter case the lines could be skew lines, rather than parallel.
Read more about this topic: Ambient Space
Famous quotes containing the word mathematics:
“Why does man freeze to death trying to reach the North Pole? Why does man drive himself to suffer the steam and heat of the Amazon? Why does he stagger his mind with the mathematics of the sky? Once the question mark has arisen in the human brain the answer must be found, if it takes a hundred years. A thousand years.”
—Walter Reisch (1903–1963)