Betti Number - Informal Definition

Informal Definition

Informally, the kth Betti number refers to the number of unconnected k-dimensional surfaces. The first few Betti numbers have the following intuitive definitions:

  • b0 is the number of connected components
  • b1 is the number of two-dimensional or "circular" holes
  • b2 is the number of three-dimensional holes or "voids"

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