René Thom (1923–2002) was a French mathematician best known for his contributions to topology and the development of catastrophe theory. Born in Montfavet, France, he made significant advancements in understanding mathematical phenomena that can exhibit sudden changes in behavior, which are modeled using "catastrophes." Catastrophe theory is a branch of mathematics that studies how small changes in the parameters of a system can lead to abrupt changes in its behavior or structure.
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