What is Ontology

Topology is about how entities are connected or arranged. It can mean slightly different things depending on context:

Philosophy & Mathematics

In mathematics, topology studies the properties of space that are preserved under continuous deformations (stretching, bending, twisting — but not tearing or gluing).
It asks:

• What makes one shape essentially the same as another?
• When do two objects share the same “form,” even if they look different?

Example: a coffee mug and a donut are topologically the same (both have one hole).

Philosophically, topology is about spatial relations and connectedness rather than substance. It focuses on how things are arranged or related in space, not on what they are.

Computer Science / Information Systems

In computing, topology usually means the arrangement of components and their connections.
Examples:

• Network topology: how computers or nodes are connected (star, mesh, ring, tree).
• System architecture topology: the layout of modules, APIs, databases, etc.

Here, topology doesn’t care about the content but about the structure of connections.

Everyday Use

In casual language, “topology” can mean the map or layout of things in relation to each other.

Example: “the topology of a city” could mean how roads and neighborhoods are connected.