Orientability

(Redirected from Orientable manifold)

In the Euclidean space, R3 is called orientable if a two-dimensional figure (for example, Small pie.svg) cannot be moved around the surface and back to where it started so that it looks like its own mirror image (Pie 2.svg). Otherwise the surface is non-orientable. A concept connected to this is chirality. This means that no matter what, a human right hand, cannot be rotated in such a way that it becomes a human left hand. The right hand is therefore orientable.


Orientability Media