Helly's theorem is a basic result in discrete geometry describing the ways that convex sets may intersect each other. It was discovered by Eduard Helly in 1913, but not published by him until 1923, by which time alternative proofs by Radon (1921) and König (1922) had already appeared. Helly's theorem gave rise to the notion of a Helly family.
Famous quotes containing the word theorem:
“To insure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough, a police force is needed as well.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)