Use the unnormalized convention: the least number of open subsets covering $X$ whose inclusions into $X$ are null-homotopic. The subsets need not themselves be contractible. This number is one for a nonempty contractible space. If $r$ positive-degree classes have nonzero product, a cover by $r$ categorical sets would make that product zero by relative cup products; hence $\mathrm{cat}(X)\ge r+1$.

A topological space with a distinguished basepoint. Maps preserve the basepoint, and based homotopies keep it fixed.

Stable homotopy theory studies topological spectra, which retain the information that persists under repeated reduced suspension. Its stable homotopy category admits invertible suspension of spectra and exact cofiber sequences of spectra.

A homotopy colimit of spaces is the homotopy-invariant replacement for a colimit of spaces. For a filtered diagram of CW complexes with subcomplex inclusions, the union is a model: the inclusions are cofibrations, and every sphere map and homotopy has image in a finite subcomplex. A suspension spectrum carries this construction to the corresponding homotopy colimit of spectra.

Intersection homology is the homology of a chain complex in which chains and their boundaries satisfy codimension-dependent perversity restrictions at singular strata. Unless specified otherwise coefficients here are $\mathbb{Q}$. Ordinary homology is recovered on manifolds.

A homomorphism is a map between algebraic structures preserving their specified operations. For a single binary operation, this means $f(a\ast b)=f(a)\star f(b)$, where the source and target may use different operation symbols. A group homomorphism preserves the group operation; a ring homomorphism preserves addition and multiplication, with the identity convention specified; a module homomorphism preserves addition and scalar multiplication.

Reduction modulo $5$ is a ring homomorphism $\mathbb{Z}\to \mathbb{Z}/5\mathbb{Z}$: adding or multiplying first and then reducing gives the same residue as reducing first and then operating. For example, $12\cdot 14=168\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}5)$, while the reduced operands give $2\cdot 4=8\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}5)$. This lets a complicated integer calculation be projected into simpler finite arithmetic. It also explains why a polynomial equation over the integers imposes necessary modular arithmetic conditions on any integer solution.

A homomorphism can lose information: $0$ and $5$ have the same image under that reduction. An isomorphism loses none of the structure because it has an operation-preserving inverse. Preservation of the operation, rather than preservation of arbitrary labels or sizes, is the essential condition.

An incline has two associative commutative operations $+$ and multiplication, with multiplication distributing over addition, idempotent addition and absorption $x+xy=x$. Neither operation is required here to have an identity. Its natural order is $x\le y⟺x+y=y$, making addition a join. Multiplication is order-preserving, and products lie below both factors. A finitely generated incline is well-quasi-ordered by its reversed natural order, via the reverse-inclusion well-quasi-ordering of monomial ideals applied to exponent supports.

A vertex operator algebra is an integer-graded vector space equipped with a state-field correspondence $a\mapsto Y(a,z)$, a vacuum, translation operator and conformal vector satisfying vacuum, translation, locality and compatibility axioms. It packages the local operator product expansions of a chiral conformal field theory. A string vertex operator is an individual state insertion, rather than this complete algebraic structure.

In a translation-covariant quantum field theory on Minkowski spacetime, the joint spectrum of the energy-momentum generators is required to lie in the closed future light cone. With signature $(+,-,-,-)$ this means $p^0\ge 0$ and $p^2\ge 0$. The spectrum condition implements a positive-energy stability requirement in every inertial frame. It constrains the Fourier support and analyticity of vacuum correlation functions but does not by itself assert spacelike commutation or an initial-value property.

Primitive causality is a dynamical completeness condition: the state restricted to a suitable initial spacetime region determines its expectations throughout that region's domain of dependence. Algebraically one requires the later domain-of-dependence observable algebra to be contained in the initial algebra, under the identifications supplied by the dynamics. A local time-slice axiom gives this property for a neighbourhood of a Cauchy slice. Knowledge of the full restricted state, including correlations, is required; knowing only mean initial fields is insufficient.

The time-slice axiom says that an algebra generated in an arbitrarily thin suitable neighbourhood of a Cauchy surface generates the algebra of its causal development. For $O$ such a neighbourhood in its development $D(O)$, this is $\mathcal{A}(O)=\mathcal{A}(D(O))$. Precise global and local versions can differ in the regions to which they apply. For a local hyperbolic field equation, later fields can be represented using the initial field and its conjugate momentum in the corresponding domain of dependence.

If a number field has $r$ real embeddings and $s$ conjugate pairs of complex embeddings, thenwhere $\mu (K)$ is the finite group of roots of unity in $K$.

If $\Lambda \subset {\mathbb{R}}^n$ is a full lattice and a measurable convex centrally symmetric set $C$ has volume greater than $2^n\mathrm{covol}(\Lambda )$, then $C$ contains a nonzero lattice point.

The factorization of a defining polynomial modulo a prime, provided the index is coprime to that prime, determines the prime ideals, ramification indices and residue degrees in the corresponding ring of integers.

A Hecke character of a number field is a continuous character of its idèle class group. Its finite conductor records the local unit subgroups on which it is trivial. As an ideal character it is defined on fractional ideals prime to that conductor, with a prescribed rule on principal ideals coming from its archimedean character. A CM elliptic curve yields an algebraic Hecke character with one CM embedding in its infinity type of a Hecke character.

Elliptic units are algebraic units constructed by evaluating suitably normalized elliptic functions at CM torsion points and taking products or norms into ray class fields. Their distribution relations make them norm compatible in CM division towers. They generate an Euler system of elliptic units and their local Coleman power series for a CM formal group have logarithmic derivatives encoding critical Hecke L-function values.

The Grothendieck group of finitely generated projective right $A$-modules under direct sum. An element is a formal difference $[P]-[Q]$. Equality of two positive classes means $P\oplus T\cong Q\oplus T$ for some projective $T$; adding a complement of $T$ converts this into an isomorphism after a common finite free summand. This stabilization criterion is essential in patching arguments.

Stable invertible matrices, with stabilization $g\mapsto \mathrm{diag}(g,1)$, form the stable general linear group. Its elementary subgroup is its commutator subgroup, and the displayed quotient is its abelianization. Elementary matrices lift along any surjective ring map, even when arbitrary invertible matrices do not lift. Over a field, determinant identifies $K_1$ with its multiplicative unit group.

A cartesian square of unital rings $A=A_1{\times }_{A_0}{A}_2$ is a Milnor square when at least one map $A_i\to A_0$ is surjective. Finitely generated projective modules over $A$ can then be assembled from projective modules over the two upper rings together with an isomorphism of their reductions over $A_0$.

Ramification is branching in a geometric or algebraic map, detected by multiplicity greater than one. For number fields, ramification of a prime means that some prime ideal occurs with exponent greater than one in the extended prime ideal. For a map of smooth algebraic curves, a local parameter pulls back to a parameter with order greater than one at a ramification point.