Thurston's geometrization conjecture

Thurston's geometrization conjecture states that every three-dimensional shape (or "manifold") can be broken down into pieces, each having a specific, uniform geometric structure—like how different surfaces can have shapes such as spheres or cylinders. This means that complex 3D spaces can be understood by understanding these simple, standardized geometric forms. The conjecture was proven by mathematician Grigori Perelman in 2003, providing a comprehensive way to classify all possible 3D shapes, much like how every 2D shape can be classified by its basic features.