First wereeall the way in which regions of space are classified topologically. A singly-connected region of space is distinguished by the facts that any ‘two points in the region can be joined by paths lying entirely in the region x(@GEKemewerininws x) | OMDocmenr x 63357-G-K-Batchelor-An-Introductin-to-Fluid- Dynamies-Cambxidge-Univesity-Press-2000-pdf ad 2.8] Flow in doubly-connected regions 109 and that any two such paths together made a reducible closed curve. Ina ‘multiply-connected region, itis sill possible te join any two points in the region by paths lying entirely in the region, but some pairs of such paths together make irreducible closed curves. The degree of connectivity of a ‘multiply-connected region is determined by the number of different barriers, in the form of open surfaces whose bounding curves lie entirely on the boundary of the region, which it is possible to insert in the region without dividing the region into unconnected parts; if n—1 such barriers can be inserted, the region is said to be n-ply connected. For example, the region ‘external to atorusis doubly connected, because only one barrier (say extend- ingacross the central opening of the torus) can be inserted without the region losing connectivity altogether. The insertion of each barrier creates a new re- ation (for which both sides ofthe harrier are now part ofthe boundary) whose degree of connectivity is one less than that of the region without the barrier. ‘The degree of connectivity may also be stated in terms of the number of irreconcilable closed curves which may be drawn in the region. Two circuits in the region are said to be reconcilable if they can be made to coincide by continuous deformation without passing out of the region; sometimes the reconciliation will be such that thereis aone-to-one correspondence between Points on thetwocircuits (thats, such that each pointof one circuit coincides with only one point of the other circuit), and sometimes one of the circuits will have become double, or multiple, during the reconciliation. In a singly- connected region, all circuits are reconcilable (and reducible). In the doubly- connected region external to a torus, all the reducible circuits are recon- cilable, one with another, and all the irreducible circuits which thread the torus are likewise reconcilable with another; however, no circuit of the former group is reconcilable with any circuit of the latter group. There are thus just two irreconcilable circuits which can be drawn in a doubly-con- nected region. In an n-ply connected region, m irreconcilable circuits can be drawn, one of which will be reducible and n— 1 of which will be irreducible Each of the m—1 barriers which can be inserted in an n-ply connected region, without dividing it into unconnected parts, excludes one of the n—1 irreconcilable irreducible circuits which can be drawn in the region. = i i