Loop

The term "loop" has a number of meanings in mathematics.

Most simply, a loop is a closed curve whose initial and final points coincide in a fixed point  known as the basepoint. Formally, if  is a topological space and , a loop is a continuous map

such that  and .

A knot or hitch which holds its form rigidly is also called a loop (Owen 1993).

Other definitions appearing in particular area of mathematics include the algebraic loop and graph loop.

REFERENCES:

Owen, P. Knots. Philadelphia, PA: Courage, p. 35, 1993.