Manifold

A manifold is a mathematical concept that describes a shape or space that, although potentially complex on a large scale, looks smooth and simple when examined closely around any single point. Think of it like the surface of the Earth: globally, it's curved and complex, but locally, it appears flat to an observer standing on it. Manifolds provide a framework for understanding and analyzing complex shapes and spaces in fields like physics, engineering, and computer graphics, by allowing local properties to be studied with familiar, simple tools.