Folium

/ˈfoʊliəm/ noun

Definition

A leaf or leaf-shaped object; in mathematics, a type of curve shaped like a leaf.

Etymology

Latin word meaning 'leaf,' directly borrowed into English and other languages, especially used in botanical and mathematical contexts.

Kelly Says

In mathematics, the 'folium of Descartes' is a beautiful curve that looks exactly like a leaf—and it stumped mathematicians for years because it has weird properties where part of the curve exists at infinity, bending geometry's rules.

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