Science
Chinese discovery of doughnut-like topology at tipping points breaks physics convention
Key Points
Chinese physicists have discovered that a tipping point – a threshold where a physical system rapidly shifts states – can possess a smooth mathematical structure resembling a doughnut’s hole, challenging a belief that the two phenomena must be studied separately. For decades, mainstream physicists have mostly treated critical phenomena, which describe how physical systems change at critical points, and topology, which studies the properties of geometry, as separate areas of research.
Chinese physicists have discovered that a tipping point – a threshold where a physical system rapidly shifts states – can possess a smooth mathematical structure resembling a doughnut’s hole, challenging a belief that the two phenomena must be studied separately.
For decades, mainstream physicists have mostly treated critical phenomena, which describe how physical systems change at critical points, and topology, which studies the properties of geometry, as separate areas of research.
A classic...