The outermost or topmost boundaries of objects, or the exterior parts that can be seen and touched. In mathematics, it refers to two-dimensional manifolds in three-dimensional space.
From French 'surface' combining 'sur' (upon) and 'face' (face), literally meaning 'upon the face'. The term entered English in the 17th century and expanded from physical surfaces to abstract mathematical concepts.
Despite seeming perfectly smooth, most surfaces are incredibly rough at the molecular level - even polished glass looks like a mountain range under powerful microscopes, which is why geckos can walk on walls using van der Waals forces!
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