HOROSPHERE Meaning and
Definition
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A horosphere is a geometric term referring to a three-dimensional surface or plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction at a given point in mathematical hyperbolic space. It is a specialized concept in hyperbolic geometry, which is the geometry of the hyperbolic plane or space, characterized by negatively curved surfaces. In this context, the horosphere is a plane that serves as a kind of reference point or loci for calculations and measurements in hyperbolic space.
The term "horosphere" is derived from the Greek words "horos," meaning "bounding" or "limit," and "sphaira," meaning "sphere." The concept can be visualized as an infinitely large sphere, with the point in hyperbolic space being the center, and the plane being tangent to this sphere. Due to the negative curvature of the hyperbolic space, the horosphere extends infinitely in a curve-like fashion away from the point.
Horospheres have triangular curvatures, which means that any two intersecting horospheres will create two parallel lines. These curvatures, along with other geometric properties of horospheres, have important applications in various areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. They are particularly useful in understanding the behavior and properties of hyperbolic manifolds, as well as in the study of geodesics and the geometry of spacetime in general relativity.
In summary, a horosphere is a three-dimensional plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction at a given point in hyperbolic space, serving as a reference surface for computations and measurements in hyperbolic geometry.
Etymology of HOROSPHERE
The word "horosphere" is derived from two Greek roots: "horos" meaning "boundary" or "limit", and "sphaira" meaning "sphere". The combination of these roots forms "horosphere", which refers to a geometric shape defined by the set of points equidistant to a fixed point and a fixed plane in hyperbolic geometry.
